Tales Of Konoha's Heroes
by Chelty-chan and YeahWhatever12
Summary: [Multi-chap sequel to the one-shot 'Marry Me'] The lives of the Konoha 12 and others after the war... who says shinobi can't have their own happily ever afters? Genres: Drama/romance/humor. NaruHina, Uzumaki family fluff. some SasuSaku NejiTen Different Narutoverse. mostly NARUHINA. Different storyline from Canon. T for Teeth-rotting Fluff... with an actual story plot...
1. Prologue: How It All Started

**Hiiiii! I****f you haven't read 'Marry Me?', I suggest you do so before reading this, because, well…I mean, this is a sequel sooo yeah, just read the one-shot first then this will make perfect sense! =)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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X-X-X-X-X-X-X

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Naruto frowned.

Uncrossing his arms, he bent to lean on the windowsill, studying his daughter, who was practicing her aim, in the yard below him. She had been going at it for two hours straight, and from the look of concentration on her face, she probably wasn't even aware of the time.

"I'm worried about her, Hina-chan." He muttered under his breath, knowing his wife, who sat in a chair behind him and was in the middle of fixing a hole in Hiashi's pants, could hear him.

Sighing, Hinata stood and crossed the room, coming to rest next to him at the window. She couldn't hold back the smile that spread over her features as she watched her daughter, the scene before her reminding her of Naruto when he was that age.

"Hanako will be just fine, she only wants to make sure she is ready for the chunnin exams." Hinata reassured, laying a comforting palm on her husband's arm. "You know she hates how you dote on her, you promised not to do that anymore…well, to a lesser extent in any case."

She laughed softly at the indignant look that crossed his face.

"Hey, she's my little girl, how can I NOT? You and I both know how rough the chunnin exam can get, how can I not worry?"

Hinata frowned knowing where this was going. "Oh no you don't, you promised Hanako you would let her take the exam this year."

Naruto grimaced. "But Hina-chaaaaan, what if she gets hurt?" he whined, very unlike a Hokage should.

Hinata softened. "She won't. Hanako has received more than enough training. She is ready."

"Are you sure she can't just enter next year?"

"Hanako is 12. The same age we were when we took the exam for the first time. We made it out, and she is stronger than we were at the time. Besides, you know she is still upset that you let her brothers take the exam when they were 10, and you have refused to let her do so since becoming a genin two years ago."

"Hia and Hiza are boys. That's different." Naruto crossed his arms, pouting like a child. "She needs more experience as a genin."

Hinata laughed, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "You made her wait four years longer than her brothers did to finally gain genin status. She won't forgive you if you make her wait just as long to ascend to chunnin level." She teased. "You have no reason to worry about Hanako, she is _your_ daughter after all." She added in a soft voice.

Naruto softened as he turned to look at her again. She smiled up at him. "She will be fine. You of all people should know how ready she is, you supervised all her training, did you not?"

He frowned at the hint of teasing in her voice. "Heeey, don't say it like that, I had to make sure she didn't get hurt."

"Yes, yes. And I am happy you did so." She answered as she took one of his large hands in between her two dainty ones. "I always did say you would make a wonderful father."

His blue eyes softened as they bore into her lavender ones. "You know, even after all these years, I still can't get over how lucky I am to have you in my life." He said as he lifted their joined hands to his mouth to lay a soft kiss on her knuckles.

Hinata's cheeks were immediately aflame at the compliment and the affectionate gesture.

He chuckled softly as he lowered their hands. "It's also nice to know that even after all these years, I can still make you blush like that."

Hinata's cheeks burned darker than before. "Well, at least I don't stutter anymore."

He chuckled again. "Its too bad really, I always found your stutter cute," his smile turned mischievous as he leaned in, "especially when we- OW!"

Hinata crossed her arms as she removed her foot from his possibly crushed one.

"Hina-chan, that was mean," he whined, "you've been spending way too much time with Sakura. She's starting to rub off on you."

"And you have been spending too much time with Kakashi-sensei, I always did warn you that his books would corrupt your mind."

"Humph, Its times like this when I miss the quiet shy Hina-chan, she would never stomp on my foot." He whined.

She shook her head and smiled affectionately at him. "Well, being the Hokage's wife can do wonders for one's confidence." She laughed as she picked up the pants she had been fixing and walked out the room to go and wash them.

Naruto laughed as he turned around to watch his daughter once more.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

* * *

"Aw..phooey."

Hanako pouted as she walked to the giant bull's eye square littered with kunai. She frowned as she extracted all of them, frowning harder as she plucked out the last one…the only one that had missed it's center by about a few millimeters.

"This won't do." She scolded herself. She was practicing for the upcoming Chunnin Exam. She was determined to excel and ascend in rank, not wanting the margin between her and her older brothers to grow any larger. She was 12, and her brothers had made Chunnin at 10 and a half.

"Okay…on three." Hanako muttered to herself as her piercing blue eyes zoned in on her target.

Her eyes shone with determination, her hand clamping down on the kunai she had been twirling by the handle, as her gaze zeroed in on the bull's eye, roughly about 50 paces from where she stood.

_One._

She inhaled deeply.

_Two._

This time for sure, she would hit that bull's eye.

_Thr_-

"For the last time, Hia, we do NOT have a Kekei Genkai like that!"

Or not.

Hanako sighed in defeat, replacing the kunai in her pouch as she turned around to observe her approaching brothers.

Hizashi and Hiashi walked towards where she stood in the middle of the sparring area their Father had set up for them in the yard.

"Oh come on Hiza," the other brother whined as he matched his twin's pace, "I'm telling you, the Talk no Jutsu is invincible, no enemy can avoid or escape it."

Hizashi sighed irritably and pinched the bridge of his nose. Hanako barely managed to suppress a giggle, for her brother never quite showed this much…er, feeling. Whatever he and Hiashi where arguing about, they had probably been going at it for hours.

"Okay, first of all, that is a stupid name for a Jutsu, you just made that up," Hizashi snapped, trying to calm down by breathing through his nose. "Second, Father would have told us if we had a Kekei Genkai like that…IF it existed, which it does not."

"I'm tellin' ya it exists!"

"It does not, stop being stubborn."

"We have another Kekei Genkai besides the Byakugan?" Hanako asked curiously, when they reached her.

"No, we do not." Hizashi snapped before his brother could answer.

Hiashi glared daggers at his twin before turning back to grin at their younger sister. "Oh we do!" he grinned wider.

"What is it?" she asked, noticing Hizashi's eyes narrowing out of the corner of her eye.

"It's called the Talk no Jutsu!" Hiashi cheered with a flourish of his arms.

Hizashi's scowl tightened, his pale eyes narrowing to mere slits. Hanako looked less than impressed.

"It does not sound very…impressive." She commented, her face scrunching up thoughtfully.

"It sounds stupid." Hizashi deadpanned. "And it does not exist."

"It does TOO!" Hiashi huffed indignantly, "Kakashi-sensei told me about it himself! It's like Dad's legendary legacy, kinda like how Grandfather was the Yellow Flash."

"I thought Father's legendary legacy was the Fuiton Rasen-Shuriken of The Sage." Hanako replied, her thoughtful frown making her brow furrow. "Legendary, because only he can execute it without suffering any fatality to his person."

"It is," Hiashi answered impatiently, "but he's got more than one, he didn't get the title of strongest ninja in the village for nothing you know."

"Okay, so then what is this Speech no Jutsu you were arguing about?" she asked.

"TALK no Jutsu." Hiashi corrected.

His siblings simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"I think Speech no Jutsu sounds more impressive."

"I'm in no way consenting that this Jutsu even exists…but I concur with Hanako. Her's definitely sounds more…regal, less stupid." Hizashi said with a smirk, when an irritated vein popped up on his brother's head.

"Whatever," Hiashi rolled his eyes. "Anyway, it's a Jutsu where you can convince the enemy to back down and rethink their mission, even their morals and ideals if you are as good as Dad is at it, all simply by talking, no fighting, no genjutsu, and no wasted chakra. How cool is that?"

Hanako stared blankly at him. "So…you basically just..talk… to your enemy and they suddenly turn good and see the error in their ways?" she asked flatly.

"Exactly!"

"But that doesn't..sound like a Kekei Genkai at all. Father just has amazing diplomatic skill, and easily befriends people…right, Hiza?" she asked turning to her more rational brother, who nodded at her.

"And even if it WERE a Kekei Genkai, wouldn't more people have it?" he piped in.

Hiashi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Obviously not! We are the only Uzumaki's around, and its only unique to us duh, like how the Byakugan is unique to the Hyuuga and the Sharingan to the Uchiha."

Hanako's eyes shone with excitement. "Wow, so then its okay that I don't have the Byakugan after all! I probably have the Speech no Jutsu and you guys don't!"

"Hey, who says we don't have it?! And it's the TALK no Jutsu. TALK not speech."

"Stop filling her head with nonsense Hia." His brother warned, lightly bumping his brother's head with his fist. "Remember what Mother said last time."

Hiashi rolled his eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Hey, all I did was tell her the story of how Dad learnt the Summoning Jutsu from Jiraiya-sama. How was I supposed to know she would go jump off a cliff?!" he snapped, crossing his arms across his chest.

"So..the Kekei Genkai?" Hanako drawled irritably, not liking how they brought up her near-death stunt. Sheesh, all she wanted was to learn how to summon, how was she supposed to know she didn't have enough chakra to summon the Toad Boss like her Father had done when he was her age.

"Its not a real Kekei Genkai, Hanako, don't get your hopes up." Hizashi warned.

"No, no, no…arrgh! I'm telling ya it is too a Kekei Genkai!" Hiashi yelled, stomping his foot for emphasis. "Dad used it to save many lives in battle, it worked on a lot of people!"

"Like…?" Hanako was really curious now.

Hiashi raised his hand and started counting off his fingers.

"Well, there's the current Kazekage, Zabuza of the Hidden Mist, Nagato and Konan of Hidden Rain etcetera etcetera…oh even our Uncles Sasuke, Sai and Itachi!"

Hanako's eyes widened. That was an impressive list of some very strong shinobi. Even though some of them were gone, like Zabuza, Nagato and Konan, she knew from stories told to her by her mother that they all had legendary skill and were widely feared shinobi.

"Wow..even the Kazekage and a legendary swordsman, and a bearer of the Rinnegan…" She breathed out. It awed her that her father had managed to get through to them all with just…words.

"Yeah I know, we have the coolest dad on the planet." Hiashi smirked, as if reading his sister's thoughts.

Her eyes snapped up to meet her brother's. "Wait Uncle Sasuke, Uncle Itachi and Uncle Sai too?"

Hiashi nodded eagerly. "Yup…He saved them from turning into rogue nin, Wanna hear how he did it?" he asked as he flopped down to sit on the grass. Hanako nodded as she sank to the ground across from him.

Hizashi sighed and sat too. "You know technically, Uncle Sasuke does not count in this list of yours, seeing as Aunt Sakura also helped save him from going rogue."

"She did? What happened? I always wondered how they got together…wait…rogue nin? As in he wanted to leave the village? Why? Mother has never told me this story before…what happened?"

"Relax, I'll tell ya," Hiashi answered, rubbing his nose triumphantly at having garnered her attention.

Hizashi sighed in frustration. "I think you should just ask Aunt Sakura to tell you if you want to understand, Hanako."

"Hey! I can too explain it properly. Anyway! Moving on," Hiashi interrupted loudly.

Hizashi was just about to scold his brother when their Mother's voice interrupted.

"Hanako! Boys!"

The three Uzumaki siblings turned to see their parents walking towards them.

"Yes, Mother?" she asked when they reached them.

Hinata handed her a brown bag. "Those are cookies," she explained. "I would like you to take those to the Uchiha's. I promised your Aunt that I would bake some for Mikoto."

"Boys," Naruto addressed his sons, "You are to escort your sister and make sure she gets there and back in one piece, understand?"

"Can't Hiashi take her there by himself? He's more than capable." Hizashi asked, with just the barest hint of a whine.

Hiashi let out an exaggerated gasp. "Are you disobeying _the _Hokage, Hiza?"

Hizashi scowled at his brother. "Will you STOP doing that already!"

"You just don't want to have to deal with Mikoto-chan, riiiiight?" Hiashi teased with a smirk.

"And you just want to go and bother her." Hizashi shot back.

"Heeeey, I don't bother her." Hiashi whined, offended.

"Actually, you do. She thinks you're annoying. She told me so herself." Hanako said as she snickered.

Hinata and Naruto chuckled nervously, both imagining the many times Hiashi had been snubbed by Sakura and Sasuke's 12-year-old daughter. And yet, the boy persisted.

"Oh, this is my chance to ask Aunt Sakura!" Hanako suddenly cheered. "You guys are horrible story tellers; let's go, the sooner we go the sooner I know." She said grabbing a hand from each twin and pulling them along behind her.

"You're just as mean as Mikoto-chan is." Hiashi whined as the three walked out of the Uzumaki compound.

"They are best friends. It would stand to reason that they have similar traits." Hizashi intoned, bored.

"Who asked for your opinion?!" Hiashi snapped, irritated. He just found out that the girl of his dreams thought he was annoying, and his sister thought he was a lousy story-teller, so forgive him if he wasn't in the mood for his brother's banter.

"Be safe!" Hinata called as she waved at their retreating backs. She smiled when she heard their monotonous reply of "Yes, Mother."

"Any idea what that was about?" Naruto asked as he took Hinata's hand and pulled her along with him.

"Not a one." She said as she chuckled. "Now where are you taking me?" she asked curiously.

He gave her a mischievous grin as he went behind her to cover her eyes. "It's a surprise."

Hinata giggled as they walked along.

She froze when they suddenly lurched to a stop. "Hina-chaaan…NO Byakugan. Deactivate it."

She pouted. "But I want to know where we're going."

"It won't be a surprise if you see it coming." He pointed out.

"Alright, fine, I will wait." Hinata conceded.

Naruto chuckled as he maneuvered them around the house and into the back gardens.

There was a spring that ran through the middle of the garden, a grassy bank on one side. On the other side, a huge array of Hinata's favorite flowers grew and bloomed. Naruto had had them planted and tended to, specifically for her as a present when they had first moved into the house. The garden was meant to be a replica of the one Hinata's mother had on the Hyuuga estate, a place where Hinata had shared many happy days with her mother before she died.

Naruto smiled faintly when he remembered her reaction when she had first seen it. She had of course, cried in the middle of thanking him for the very sweet memento of her mother's memory.

"Here we are." He said as he removed his hands. "Surprise." He said softly.

Hinata gasped.

In front of her on the bank of the spring was laid out the prettiest picnic she had ever seen. She noticed some of her favorite snacks laid out too.

She turned around to beam up at him. "When did you…?

"While you were washing Hiashi's pants." He answered. "We haven't spent any time alone together in a while. I know I've been buried in paperwork lately, and you have your hands full with the kids and running the estate…I just wanted to spend the afternoon with you, just the two of us."

"Is that why you sent _both_ of the boys with Hanako?"

"Yes…I don't want us to be disturbed."

Hinata laughed and threw herself into his arms, which turned out to be a bad idea when they toppled to the ground. Naruto laughed when she sat up, cheeks burning. She smiled widely when she noticed that he had brought out her paint set too. Following her line of sight, Naruto gave himself a pat on the back at her expression of glee.

"I thought you might want to paint some pictures of the flowers or something." He said smiling down at her. She thanked him softly, squeezing his hand before getting off him and walking to the picnic blanket.

She reached out for the brushes and started to set up her canvas as Naruto reached for the bottle of wine, intending to pour them both a glass. He promptly frowned when the screw wouldn't open.

Hinata who was looking around for a flower she wanted to paint almost laughed out loud when her eyes landed on her husband wrestling with the wine bottle. She knew exactly what to paint.

After wrestling with the bottle for the better part of half an hour, Naruto gave a victorious war cry when the cork popped open, and then wailed when it hit him in the eye. Hinata was by his side in an instant.

"Are you okay?' she asked worriedly. "Let me see." She instructed, taking his face in her hands to scrutinize it.

Naruto sighed, inhaling her strawberry and maple scent happily. And then he saw her half finished painting. "Hina-chaaaaan." He whined.

Hinata blushed and giggled. "I thought the kids would like it."

She had painted him wrestling with opening the bottle, a very frustrated and un-Hokage-like look on his face.

He pouted like a child and crossed his arms. "But I look totally uncool." He complained.

Hinata chuckled again. His inner child was showing again. She went back to him and turned his face towards her with a finger. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" she smiled up at him.

"As a matter of fact there is," Naruto smiled mischievously down at her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I want some of those cookies you baked for Mikoto." He sang with child-like glee.

"I thought you would ask me to make you ramen again." She chuckled as she pulled away.

"No," he scoffed as he pulled her back, "that would mean us moving from here and going to the kitchen, and I for one am very happy with our current position." He said before leaning in to kiss her.

When he pulled back the grin on his face widened when he saw that she was blushing again. He never got tired of seeing her blush.

"What is it?" Hinata asked when his grin was replaced by a thoughtful frown.

"I just realized that getting the cookies also means moving from here." He sighed.

Hinata giggled as she shook her head up at him.

* * *

**X-X-X-X-X-X**


	2. Sasuke and Sakura

**Disclaimer: I really don't see the point of these things. This is FANfiction, obviously being FANS, we own nothing…that should be obvious, or am I alone in thinking that?, heehee oh well. I own squat, as usual.**

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X-X-X-X-X-X

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"Aunt Sakura!"

Sakura smiled and held out her arms to catch the yellow blur that jumped into her arms so fast, the Fourth's flash could be put to shame. "Well, hello to you too, Hanako," she chuckled as she patted the girl's blonde head.

"I have something to ask you," Hanako said as Sakura set her down.

"Oh?"

Hanako nodded once, grinning. "Yes, but first, Mother sent me to bring these cookies for Mikoto-chan."

"Hanakooo!"

"Are those your brothers, Hanako?" Sakura asked, chuckling when they came into view.

Hanako winced and nodded. "I kind of forgot about them." She answered as she turned to face the approaching dust cloud that was Hiashi, closely followed by a bored looking Hizashi.

"Hanako, don't run off like that! Dad said we were supposed to keep an eye on you!" Hiashi complained as soon as they were within earshot. "Oh, Hi Aunt Sakura!" he added-shouted, waving an arm wildly, making Sakura chuckle.

_'He looks like a mini-Naruto.'_ She thought fondly as she waved back.

"You guys were walking too slow, I have a story I intend to hear, ya know." Hanako said, waving a hand dismissively.

Sakura chuckled again._ 'ya know? More Mini-Narutos.'_

"That doesn't mean you can just run off like that," Hizashi pressed, and then bowed to Sakura, "Oh hello, Aunt Sakura."

"Hello boys." Sakura chuckled, as Hiashi bowed before her too when he saw Hizashi do so. "Mikoto is training with her father, come with me." She said, taking Hanako's hand and beckoning for the boys to follow.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

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"Wrong." Sasuke stated, deactivating his Sharingan. "I can still tell that it's an illusion. Do it again, and this time make sure I can't tell."

Mikoto huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes, leaning on her knees for support. "Yes, Father." She breathed out as she re-activated her Sharingan.

Sakura, who had just walked up with the kids in tow, frowned, stalking straight up to Sasuke and flicking his ear. "What did I say about pushing her too far?"

Sasuke scoffed, rubbing his stinging ear. "She has to learn how to make proper use of her Sharingan." He answered flatly.

"No, she's only had it for two weeks. It's going to take a while to learn how to use it properly. Don't forget that she's only 12."

"Fine," Sasuke sighed, more from irritation than defeat. "Mikoto, you can break for a few minutes."

The girl nodded and sank gratefully to the ground.

"Hiiii Mikoto-chaaan!" Hiashi shouted as he ran towards her, making said girl immediately frown.

She held out a palm in his face before he could reach her. "Don't come near me. I thought I told you to stop bothering me." She spat, giving him the famous Uchiha glare.

"But..but..but.."

Hanako and Hizashi sighed and shook their heads. Hiashi just wouldn't learn.

"Don't talk to me." Mikoto bit out through clenched teeth. "You. Are. Annoying."

Sakura winced. Sometimes Mikoto was too much like her father was when they were her age.

"We told you Hia," Hanako sighed. "He never listens to us anyway, we should have known this time would be no different." Hizashi commented.

Mikoto immediately perked up at the sound of Hizashi's voice.

"Hiza-kun! I didn't know you were here." She sang happily, making said boy wince and wish he had kept quiet. "Father just taught me a new Jutsu, you want to see?"

"Uh, I think you should rest first. Your father did just say to take a break. I think your training isn't done for the day." Hizashi answered uneasily, not really interested in what she wanted to show him.

"Aw, you don't have to worry about me," Mikoto replied twirling a lock of navy blue hair. "but its sweet of you to do so."

"Oh, I just remembered, I forgot to get some milk for the cookies," Sakura said, "Could one of you boys please get me some from the market?"

"I'll get it," Hizashi said hurriedly, eager to get away from Mikoto, the look she was giving him was making him nervous.

"Hiza-kun is so helpful," Mikoto cheered, "a perfect gentleman."

"Heeey," Hiashi protested. "I can be gentleman too. What's so great about Hiza, anyway?" He sniffed, crossing his arms and pouting.

Mikoto rounded on him, a glare on her face her father would be proud of. "Don't you dare badmouth Hiza-kun, I will BREAK your face, if you do." She warned, waving a fist in his face.

Sasuke winced. Sometimes Mikoto was too much like her Mother was when she was their age, for his liking.

Hizashi took advantage of her turned back and flickered off to the market before she could notice.

"Yeah, well, your 'gentleman' just left without a word," Hiashi pointed out stiffly, still irritated that she thought his brother was better than he was.

Turning and seeing that Hizashi had really left, Mikoto let out a cry of fury, punching Hiashi in the face with a rage that she clearly inherited from Sakura according to Sasuke. She then yelled at Hiashi, blaming him for distracting her, and then took off in the direction of the market, yelling "Hiza-kun!".

Hiashi, immediately took after her, yelling "Mikoto-chaaan!".

"Do you feel an odd sense of déjà vu?" Sakura chuckled, turning to Sasuke.

"Hn."

"Mother says those three remind her of team 7 when they were genin." Hanako commented. "But I don't see it, for example, you are really calm Aunt Sakura, whereas Mikoto can be…scary sometimes."

"She wasn't always this calm," Sasuke commented.

"Weren't there some documents you needed to sign, darling?" Sakura asked sweetly.

"Hn." The warning was clear in her flashing green eyes. He turned and headed to the house.

"I put them in your study!" She called after him.

Sakura then turned back to Hanako, and taking her hand, led her to a bench in the garden.

"So," She said after they sat, "You wanted to ask me something?"

Hanako nodded, and then started fidgeting. "Um, well…My brothers were telling me about... I was wondering how Uncle Sasuke and..you..how did..?"

Sakura laughed and patted her head. "Relax, Hanako."

Hanako exhaled gratefully. "So then, how did you bring him back when he left?" she asked, finally.

"Well, its more thanks to your dad than me really," Sakura answered with a faraway look in her eye.

Going back to that fateful night when she was 12, and Sasuke knocked her out and left her on a cold, hard bench in the middle of the night. Come to think of it, that was so unsafe, who knows who or what would have found her there unconscious and vulnerable. A deranged rapist, a wild bear…okay, maybe not a bear, but Sasuke should have known better than to just leave her there unprotected….damn cold-hearted jerk.

"Uh…Aunt Sakura…are you okay…?" Hanako asked carefully, eyeing the cracking bench that was suffering under Sakura's grip.

"Huh?" Sakura blinked, looked at the destroyed bench, laughed nervously and clapped the dust off her palms. "Oh, I'm fine."

Hanako wasn't sure about that, but kept quiet as she waited for Sakura to start talking.

"Actually, I was pretty angry at him when he left back then," Sakura started and Hanako was all ears.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

* * *

"But why can't I go on the mission too?" 12-year old Sakura snapped, fuming. "What if they need a medic or something?"

Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "Okay, first of all, you have only been training with Tsunade-sama for a few weeks, you are not qualified to treat anyone yet."

Sakura hmmph-ed but said nothing as she crossed her arms.

"Secondly," Kakashi continued, amused at her indignation, "Because of how you feel about Sasuke, Tsunade-same said letting you go on the retrieval mission with the boys would be a bad idea. I'm sure I don't have to explain _that_ to you." He finished, flipping his book back open.

Sakura huffed, glaring at her feet. _Damn you Uchiha Sasuke_, she thought bitterly. _How could he just leave me there after the heartfelt speech I gave him, I told him I loved him, for pete's sake. Didn't the jerk know how hard that was to do?_

"_obviously not,"_ Inner sakura piped up.

Sakura's cheeks flamed when she remembered that part. He could have at least acknowledged her confession. She huffed in irritation again, tapping her foot impatiently. Kakashi watched her warily out of the corner of his eye.

"Naruto promised he would bring him back to you, didn't he?"

Sakura started. She blinked at him a few times before answering.

"Yes. I'm not worried, Kakashi-sensei." She pouted. "I'm just angry that I got left behind, I'm always left behind and I don't do anything useful most of the time. I'm always being saved and protected by you, or Naruto, or Sasuke-kun." Her eyes narrowed. "When Naruto brings him back, Sasuke-kun is going to get a piece of my mind. How dare he just leave me on the bench like that? Did he even hear anything I said to him?"

Kakashi sighed again. She wasn't even talking to him anymore at this point, she was just yelling. He felt sorry for the Uchiha. Normally, Sakura could instantly forgive him for anything, but this time, whatever the boy did must have really ticked her off.

"Kakashi-san! Sakura! You are needed immediately in the Hokage's office!"

Kakashi looked up from his book just as Sakura froze mid rant. They saw a breathless Iruka at the door and were both instantly on their feet.

* * *

"What?!" Sakura and Kakashi yelled at the same time.

Tsunade's frown deepened. "Don't worry, Neji and Chouji have already been stabilized, we should be thankful the Sand nin arrived in time to help. Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Shikamaru and Kiba returned with them about 10 minutes ago."

"But why didn't any of them go after Naruto? who knows what those two will do to each other!" Sakura cried.

Tsunade's eyes sharpened and Sakura fell silent. "Orochimaru's minions were formidable opponents, they all sustained serious injuries and had to return to the village to get help. Naruto was the only one that didn't face a foe and was uninjured, and so went after Sasuke to at least slow him down until back up could be sent." Tsunade sighed and stood, massaging her temples. "Unfortunately, the village is short on ninja at the moment, which is why we asked for help from the Sand in the first place. I know it's a bad idea, but you two are the only ones I can send right now." She finished gravely, looking pointedly at Sakura.

Sakura swallowed, knowing what the look meant. Mission first. Feelings second. A shinobi doesn't let emotions get the better of them, etcetera etcetera.

Sakura squared her shoulders and set a determined look on her face. "We won't let you down, Shishou."

* * *

"Kakashi, they are at the Valley of The End."

"Thanks Pakkun."

The dog nodded and then disappeared with a poof.

Sakura and Kakashi were silent as they sped through the trees. They faltered when they felt a spike in chakra that was undeniably Sasuke and Naruto. And then Kakashi spoke, bringing her out of her worried thoughts.

"Sakura."

She frowned, forcing more chakra into her legs as she sped up. "I know sensei."

* * *

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted as soon as she and Kakashi spotted them both lying on the ground a few feet from each other, in the pouring rain.

"Sakura, check Naruto first, I'll look at Sasuke." Kakashi said hurriedly as he flashed to Sasuke's side.

Sakura nodded and ran to Naruto's side, immediately checking him for fatal injuries, and then almost choking on her relief when she found very few, courtesy of the Kyuubi's chakra probably. Relief was soon replaced by anger.

"You..you..dummy!" she snapped, unable to think of a better insult, as she healed him. "What were you thinking?"

"I kept my promise, Sakura-chan," he grinned up at her, despite the injuries and exhaustion. "Sasuke-temeh isn't going anywhere. Seriously, underneath all that cold jerkface exterior lies a very whiny and immature kid, I don't know what you see in him…"

"Thank you, Naruto." She cut in softly, barely biting back the tears as the glow around her hands disappeared.

"What are best friends for?" he replied, blue eyes sparkling. She laughed.

Kakashi frowned down at Sasuke. He was conscious, watching as Naruto was healed. And as Sakura laughed, he turned his head to face his sensei.

"What?"

Kakashi sighed. "I'm going to assume Naruto lectured you already?"

Sasuke scowled.

"I'll take that as a yes." He sighed again. "Look Sasuke, I don't blame you for wanting to go after Itachi and getting revenge for your family, but as I told you last night, you should forget about it. It won't make anyone happy. You included."

Sasuke scoffed. "I know that." A pause. "Sakura said the same thing."

Kakashi regarded him with his single eye, making Sasuke feel uneasy under his leveled gaze.

"What?" he asked, with just a hint of defensiveness.

"What did you do to Sakura the night you left? She's been…upset since." Kakashi finished, observing the boy before him with just a hint of amusement.

"She said she loved me and I knocked her out and left her on a bench." Came the dry and bland response.

Kakashi sighed and sweatdropped. "So that's why she's been so angry." He shook his head. Sasuke may have been considered a genius but he knew next to nothing about girls.

"Hn. I half expected to hear that she's just been crying." Sasuke commented. Although on the inside, he was just a wee bit glad. Just a wee bit. This meant she was becoming stronger…that and he just hated tears, especially hers. ..more so, if it was his fault.

"Actually she did, for the entire first day after you ran off." Kakashi didn't comment when Sasuke winced, and obviously not from his injuries. "But…after Naruto and the others went after you and she wasn't allowed to go, she was seriously pissed off."

"Hn."

"Stop being an idiot, Sasuke." Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "I wasn't supposed to tell you this yet, but since you plan on being pig-headed, I have to."

Sasuke said nothing, but looked at him expectantly.

"It's about your brother, Itachi, and the Uchiha massacre."

Sasuke visibly stiffened.

"I'll tell you later. As long as you stop being a brat and don't run off again. Orochimaru can't help you. Strength he may be able to give you, but strength alone is meaningless. Remember what I said. Those that leave their friends behind are worse than trash."

Sasuke frowned but said nothing else as Sakura approached them slowly.

She nodded at Kakashi and knelt next to Sasuke, her hands glowing green as she checked which injury to deal with first. Her brow furrowed as she concentrated, letting the chakra flow into him.

Sasuke relaxed as her chakra spread with a dull thudding sound. And for some minutes they were silent as she worked over him. Sakura nearly jumped when his chest vibrated under her fingers as he spoke.

"Are you still angry?"

She blinked down at him a few times before blushing and glaring. She scoffed and turned her face away, and then regretted it when her chakra went wild. He winced but showed no other signs of discomfort as she reigned it back in.

"Sorry," she muttered sheepishly. "I guess this makes us even for knocking me out."

All was silent again. Until Sasuke spoke again.

"Sorry…for knocking you out."

She sighed and shook her head. "It's fine. You had your reasons. Reasons I probably wouldn't understand even if you told me…which you won't since you shut everyone out." She added somewhat bitterly.

"You really do meddle too much for your own good...Sakura."

Sakura frowned and bit her lip. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry over him anymore…literally and figuratively.

"And you cry too much. You should stop that. It's annoying."

How had he noticed? It was raining...

She huffed. "For a genius, you can be really dumb sometimes." She sniffed.

They were silent again until she spoke.

"You could have at least acknowledged my confession. It wasn't easy to say all that, ya know."

"Hn. You've been spending too much time with Naruto, you're starting to sound like him."

She glared down at him but made no comment on his jab.

"What were you thanking me for?"

He opened his eyes – when had they closed? Curse her soothing chakra – and stared up at her. Sakura blushed under his gaze. "Before you knocked me out." She elaborated when he remained silent.

He averted his gaze.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"What?"

"You haven't answered my question."

"I don't have to."

Sakura sighed. Boys. "I know you don't have to…but it would be nice to know."

"I'm not nice."

Sakura was about to comment on that and then froze when she noticed something veeeerry important.

"This is the longest conversation we've ever had."

"Hn."

"Don't stop talking." She snapped, and then softened, "I mean…you always close yourself off…you're always far away…so..this is nice..and.."

"For loving me."

Sakura froze and blankly blinked down at him. "Eh?"

Sasuke frowned and turned the other way, and Sakura blushed furiously when she realized that he had just answered her question.

'_YES!' _Inner Sakura cheered.

'_Relax, he just answered my question. Don't overreact.'_ Sakura shot back.

'_Yeeeess…but SASUKE-KUN just answered your question.'_

'_Oh. my. Gosh_.'

'Yeeeesss..'

'_Sasuke-kun NEVER answers anyone's questions.'_

'_BINGO!' _Inner Sakura cheered again_. 'CHANARO!'_

Sakura started again when Sasuke's voice cut through her thoughts.

"I thought I told you to stop crying. It's annoying."

Sakura raised a shaky palm to her face. She hadn't even realized she was crying again.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm? Yes Naruto?"

"Are you finding this as weird as I am?"

"What?"

"Temeh is having an actual conversation with Sakura-chan." he said as he watched them in amazement.

"That's nice, Naruto."

Naruto turned to glare daggers at his sensei, who…didn't see it because his nose was buried in his book.

"Did you even hear anything I said?!" he yelled.

"That's nice, Naruto."

Naruto sighed and turned back to his teammates a.k.a his best friends. "Figures, it would take a near-death experience to make this happen." He muttered under his breath.

"By the way Naruto, what did you say to Sasuke?"

Naruto fidgeted a little. "I told him that he's my best friend."

There was obviously more to it than that..not that either boy would say..EVER. "I see."

"He- He said it first!" Naruto yelled as he waved his arms around in front of him, like he wasn't about to die a few minutes earlier.

"I see." Kakashi answered, returning to his book.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Naruto sneered.

"Of course I do, Naruto."

"LIAR!"

Eerie Silence.

"Its just not the same yelling that without Sakura-chan." They agreed in unison.

* * *

_**5 years later**_.

"WHAT?!"

Sakura winced and rubbed her ears. Tenten and Ino, who stood on either side of her, had just simultaneously assaulted her ears.

"Okay, seriously guys, it's not that hard to believe." Sakura scoffed, a bit miffed that they didn't believe her.

"I.. I'm happy f-for you, Sakura." Hinata said softly.

Sakura smiled and gave her a grateful hug.

"I still can't believe she snagged Sasuke." Ino interjected.

"They _do _spend a lot of time together, Ino," Tenten pointed out.

"Yes, but they're teammates," Ino shot back.

"I didn't _snag_ him," Sakura snapped defensively, "Sasuke asked me to be his girlfriend himself, and no I didn't bewitch or poison him." She added irritably when Ino opened her mouth.

"Sooo, how did he ask?" Tenten chirped.

"He gave me a ring that belonged to his mother, under the cherry blossom trees." Sakura answered with shining eyes, as she remembered the day before.

* * *

Sakura sighed as she sat, relishing the cool shade under the cherry blossom tree. She smiled as she inhaled deeply. She loved the scent. It was the same as the shampoo she used.

She sighed again as she looked around. Sasuke was late. That was odd. Sasuke was never late.

The cherry blossom tree swirled with the wind, petals falling around her. Naruto had discovered this place and since then Team 7 had abandoned training ground three for it because of the serenity and shade it provided. They would meet here to discuss missions or just to spend time together as a team…if Naruto wasn't dragging them to Ichiraku's that is.

But lately, it was mostly just her and Sasuke, since Naruto had been disappearing with Hinata more often. She sighed happily, it was about time. Of course, even though he had always harbored feelings for the shy Hyuuga, Naruto had remained oblivious to Hinata's love until she confessed…in the middle of a battle. No one saw that coming. Painfully shy Hinata admitting in front of everyone -enemy included- that she was in love with the knucklehead ninja. The look on his face was priceless.

Sakura sighed as her thoughts shifted to Sasuke.

She sighed again as she mentally thanked Kakashi and Naruto for saving Sasuke. She had learnt along with Naruto before Sasuke did the truth of his clan, and she was glad that Kakashi had finally spilled the beans and he wasn't in the dark anymore.

Tsunade had of course been outraged when she heard, and the elders responsible for the order to wipe out the Uchiha were exposed and persecuted. They had been executed for their crimes. Harsh, but they deserved it. How could an entire clan of innocent people be murdered for their own selfish purposes.

At least one good thing had come of it.

Itachi had been found and brought back to the village. It was awkward at first, he and Sasuke barely talked and mostly avoided each other. But as time went by, Itachi was slowly accepted and re-incorporated into the village.

And he and Sasuke were making progress too. Sakura smiled when she remembered that Sasuke had called him 'Aniki' twice now by 'accident.'

_'Well it has only been five years, they'll be back to normal in no time'_, she thought dryly.

She blushed as she thought about how Sasuke's relationship with his brother wasn't the only one that was slowly changing, her relationship with Sasuke had also changed.

Although Sasuke was still….er, quiet? He was definitely less cold, less distant. They could have actual conversations, rare though they were, since he was still...well, Sasuke. But he had unnecessarily put himself in front of her during battle a lot of times, which at first was annoying to Sakura, before she realized what he was doing and had then proceeded to melt into a gooey mess.

And there was that one time he carried her all the way back to Konoha when she broke her leg on a mission. She had insisted on healing it and saving them both time and energy. but he had insisted, claiming that she needed to 'replenish her chakra reserves.' They really hadn't been that low…

Sakura smiled, her cheeks warming. Even though she was still in love with said Uchiha, her love was less…obsessive, and more…what's the word…mature? No. calm? No.

'_normal?'_ Inner Sakura piped in.

Sakura flinched. Her Inner had been showing up lesser as she grew up. So when she did, it always surprised-scared her.

'_it's because you're growing up.'_ Inner explained. _'You don't really need me anymore. One of these days, any one of my little pop-ups will be my last.'_

Sakura felt a pang of Sadness and Nostalgia.

Inner laughed. _'I'll always be with you, Sakura.'_ Sakura smiled, feeling more at peace than she had since the war had started and ended.

For a while..at least.

She frowned, eyes narrowing when she noticed that she was being watched. She let out a small sigh of relief when she recognized Sasuke's chakra.

"Come out Sasuke, I know you're there," she called out. She had long since stopped calling him 'Sasuke-kun.'

She smiled when she saw the barest hint of a smile on his face as he walked towards her.

"You didn't notice me arrive for a whole minute. You're distracted." He stated as he sat, which she translated to mean 'what's bothering you?'

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm fine Sasuke. I was just thinking."

He raised an eyebrow. That was an inquiry for an explanation.

"I was just thinking about how glad I am that you never left, and how the truth came out, and how Itachi was able to come back, and now you have your brother back….the war is over, and we didn't lose anyone…all of it." She sighed. "It's almost too good to be true."

He didn't say anything, but she knew he agreed with her. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just observing the cherry blossoms falling around them.

"Oh I just remembered," Sakura started as she turned around to face him. "Why were you late today? You're usually here before any of us."

Sasuke remained silent for a bit. The truth was he DID get there before she did. He had watched her arrive and sit, occasionally blushing and smiling to herself. Weird…in a cute way. An opinion that seemed to explain most of what Sakura said or did lately.

"Sasuke? Hello?" she called waving a hand in his face. He coughed awkwardly, just the faintest shade of pink ghosting over his pale cheeks.

"I went to get something. Its something I wanted to give you." He answered, not looking at her.

"Huh? What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Give me your hand." He instructed blandly.

"Oh-kay." She stretched out an arm and gave him her hand, and then promptly stopped breathing when he slid a tiny silver ring on her middle finger. It had a tiny azure rock on it that sparkled in the setting sun's light.

She took in a shaky breath as she recognized it. Sasuke had shown it to her once. He had said it was a promise ring his father had given his mother when they had first gotten engaged. His mother had given it to him to give to a girl he would one day deem 'special'.

She looked up at him with unsure eyes, daring him to say he was just joking and take the ring back. Highly unlikely, but...she had to be sure before she could start doing any happy dances.

He saw the uncertainty in her eyes and scowled. "Are you going to accept it or not?" he asked, looking away lest she see the tiny blush that was refusing to go away.

Uchihas did NOT blush.

Sakura laughed. Translating that from 'Sasuke speak' to modern day English, 'Will you be my girlfriend or not?'

"Of course, I'll accept it, Sasuke." She answered shakily, still vaguely wondering if she was dreaming.

"Hn."

"Well it was ABOUT TIME!"

The two teens jumped. How had they missed Naruto's chakra, it was like…all over the place.

"Yes, Sasuke, I thought you would never-"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, horrified. "Naruto! How long have you two been here?"

"Uh…before either of you got here." Naruto shrugged, missing the horrified look on Sakura's face. "I win Kakashi-sensei, you owe me a ramen bowl!"

"You bet on us?" Sasuke asked, irritation clear in his voice.

"No," Naruto scoffed, "We bet on whether or not you would ask Sakura out, not both of you, some genius you are." Naruto rolled his eyes for effect as he turned back to Kakashi, purposefully ignoring the irritation rolling off the Uchiha in waves. "Come on, lets go, Kakashi-sensei, they have a two for one special today!" Naruto cheered as he pulled a disgruntled Kakashi along with him.

Sakura chuckled as she watched them shrink in the distance, while Sasuke frowned at their retreating backs. How dare they bet at his expense.

Yes, everything was right with the world.

"Its nice to see that Naruto's love for ramen is still intact after all these years." Sakura commented. "He has that stuff for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. I should probably stage an intervention, all that ramen cannot be good for him." She shook her head and then brightened. "Speaking of dinner, its almost time for it. I feel like having something light."

"I'm fine with anything that's not ramen." Sasuke stated as he started walking. Sakura chuckled and shook her head.

"Are you coming?"

She snapped up her head in surprise.

Sasuke was smirking expectantly at her over his shoulder.

Sakura blushed and nodded, running forward to catch up with him.

* * *

"AWW! A promise ring? that's so romantic!" Tenten cheered.

"Personally I think promise rings are like labels. 'Not for Marriage. Already claimed by Uchiha Sasuke'." Ino added in an auctioneer-like voice.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were jealous Pig."

"In your dreams forehead, I'm perfectly happy with my Shika-kun," she flipped her hair for emphasis, "I got over your Sasuke years ago."

"Ha, my Sasuke is better than your Shika-kun."

"Shika-kun is a genius!"

"Sasuke is smarter!"

"At least Shika-kun isn't the Ice Prince!"

"At least Sasuke isn't lazy!"

"GIRLS!" Tenten shouted. "Seriously, can't we all just be happy that we found someone special to be with?"

"I agree with Tenten." Hinata piped up.

"Hmmph..."

"I guess…"

The girls shared a laugh.

"Sooo," Ino drawled slyly rounding on Hinata. "What's the deal with you and Sir Ramenlot?"

"W-What?"

"Yeah. You and Naruto have been disappearing together a lot these days." Sakura chimed in.

"I never noticed…" Tenten said with a thoughtful frown.

"How could you?" Ino scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah," Sakura added, "You are always with Neji these days."

"No I'm NOT!"

"Tenten, this is the first time you're hanging with us since the war ended."

"Well can you blame me?" Tenten griped, "We are all lucky to have come out alive. I almost lost him in the war, so forgive me for wanting to spend as much time with him as possible."

"I understand h-how you feel Tenten," Hinata concurred, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Sakura and Ino remained silent. Hinata would know better than anyone how Tenten felt. Naruto almost died more than once during the war.

"So then, where DO you and Naruto disappear off to?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"Um…d-dates..?" Hinata answered in a small voice.

She covered her ears as all three girls squealed.

"SPILL!" they all shouted, surrounding her with shining eyes.

Hinata swallowed.

"okay..it all started whe-when Naruto-kun left the village for his training…."

* * *

**HA! Review…and you get to hear what Hinata has to say!**

**I smell MORE NaruHina fluff coming. But first…awww SasuSaku is soo cute…in a weird way lol**

**Please review!**


	3. Just Another Birthday I

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just my idea, 'tebbayo!**_

* * *

X-x-X-x-X

* * *

My Eighteenth birthday, just like so many other birthdays that have passed me, finds me blowing out the candles on my birthday cake as I make the same wish I make every year.

All around me stands everyone I know… everyone, but the two people I'm wishing _**were**_ here.

I blow the last candle out, and I can hear my friends and family applauding as I straighten up again. Looking around the room at their smiling faces, a smile I can't tell is fake or real is plastered on my face.

I can't stand it.

But it's just another birthday...and I'll be fine.

I'll be fine.

I see Kurenai-sensei in one corner, smiling at me, her 2-month-old baby nestled in her arms. Next to her, Shikamaru and Ino are arguing over the baby formula, and Chouji is smiling as he watches.

Kiba and Shino are arguing about something next to them…again. Kiba elbows Shino in he side, and he gets what i assume is a particularly painful bee sting in return. I really need to do something about those two.

Next I see Sakura standing with Kakashi-sensei on the other side of the room, the only two people left of Team Seven in Konoha. They are both smiling at me…at least I think Kakashi-sensei is smiling; it never really is easy to tell with him.

Next to them stands Iruka-sensei surrounded by other members of ANBU and various Jounin I can't seem to recall the names of at the moment.

I don't even remember ever talking to half of the people here, and yet they are all here to celebrate the anniversary of my birth.

Life is interesting that way.

Finally, I see Tenten standing with Lee and Gai-sensei by the refreshment table. Neji-nii-san isn't with them, and my eyes automatically scan the room for him.

"Happy birthday, Hinata-sama."

Ah. Of course.

He was right behind me.

"O-oh th-thank you." I say, turning around to face him.

He frowns disapprovingly, and I'm tempted to laugh.

"I told you that stuttering is unbecoming of a future clan head." He admonishes.

"R-Right. S-sorry."

His eyes narrow, and this time I manage a small laugh.

"That was not funny." He sighs in defeat and then offers me a tiny smile. "And now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and make sure no one allows Lee or Gai-sensei to have any punch or cake…or anything with sugar in it." He adds thoughtfully.

I laugh again, and he nods and walks away.

When I turn back around, I notice that almost everyone is helping themselves to a slice of cake. Ko-san had the cook bake my favourite; a double layer chocolate cake, with strawberry filling in the middle and vanilla icing on top.

But I don't feel like having any right now, and the room feels a little too hot. I don't know if it's from the music or the sound of so many conversations happening around me, but I suddenly feel a slight headache coming on. Feeling a little claustrophobic, I slowly sneak away from the room and walk out to the patio for some fresh air.

Sliding the door shut behind me, I immediately let go of the breath I had been holding as the cool evening breeze hits my face. The wonderfully refreshing feeling makes me realise just how flushed my face really is. Bringing a palm up to my forehead, I notice that my temperature is a bit higher than normal, but not quite high enough to worry about.

I let my hand fall limp at my side as my eyes immediately look to the stars.

As I always do whenever I see the stars, I soon find myself wondering if everyone in the world really does see the same sky I do, regardless of where in the world they are.

It's an amazing thought. The stars I see… are the same stars people see in Suna… In Iwa… In Kiri.

Even…Wherever it is that Naruto-kun is right now.

I sigh, letting my head fall back against the door.

Naruto-kun left the village for training again. He left two years ago, just after the war ended. Without Jiraiya-sama around, he went alone this time, which only serves to make me worry about him all the more.

After Naruto-kun found out that his father was the Yondaime, the Godaime had given him a scroll that had been left behind for him, with strict instructions to read it alone and tell no one of its contents. But of course, Naruto-kun did not heed her warning and he showed me the scroll.

It was a letter to Jiraiya-sama from the Sandaime that had a list of places he could take Naruto-kun. These places were home to hidden villages that held allies of the Yondaime and the Uzumaki clan, and that Naruto-kun could further his training there.

I'm happy that Naruto-kun found a way to somehow connect with his parents. According to the letter, Naruto-kun was supposed to learn some secret Justu that his parents-

"Hinataaaa! Where are you?!"

That's Ino.

I can't let her find me.

My train of thought interrupted, I duck and run behind a stone pillar, leaning my back on it, hoping she didn't see me. I hear her call my name again, but her voice is fainter this time.

I sigh in relief.

Because it's my eighteenth, Ino has been trying to get me to taste Sake for the first time. Of course there is no way I will do such a thing. Besides, as I have mentioned to Ino countless times already, the legal age for one to drink is twenty-one and not eighteen.

Not that it matters as I wouldn't dare taste it either way.

Sighing again, I push away from the pillar, feeling a little light-headed as I walk to the right-side railing of the patio.

This side looks out to my mother's garden below. And in the light that twinkles from the party decorations, it looks breathtakingly beautiful.

Inhaling, I separate and recognize each scent and its corresponding flower, each one giving a dim, distant memory of my mother.**  
**

On days like this, I really miss her.

She loved to come out here on full moon nights. Father would come with her each time, and they would sit and gaze up at the stars and the moon until the early hours of the morning.

I remember seeing them down here when I was a little girl, and wishing hard on the stars that one day, maybe just maybe, I would be able to share something like that with someone special.

The sounds of my parents' light laughter echoes in my head as I remember them sitting on...

Emotion wells up in my throat, and I step away from the railing, inhaling and exhaling slowly to calm myself. It wouldn't do to upset or worry anyone.

Especially…not tonight.

Plus, I'm pretty sure Ino would kill me if I ruined my make-up. She did work on it for two hours. The thought makes me chuckle lightly.

Calm once more, I cross the patio to lean on the left-side railing that looked over Father's Koi pond. I bend over and rest my cheek on my arm as I admire the moon's reflection on the water. The only two Koi that inhabit the pond continuously circle each other.

Like a yin and its yang.

I remember that they are Father's most prized possession. A gift from the Sandaime to Mother, Ko-san told me.

Ko-san said that mother and father were very different people, brought together by an arranged marriage…and yet, they still fell in love.

The two Koi represent that.

One white. The other black.

Opposites. Forever circling each other.

I believe that it was because Mother and Father were so different, that they fell in love. My mother was a wild, free spirit. Father was the complete opposite.

Just like…Naruto-kun and I.

I am nothing like him.

Naruto-kun is like the sun, bringing with him warmth and the vibrancy of life wherever he goes.

When I had told him this, he had laughed and then told me something I have never forgotten to this day.

"_**If I am the sun, Hina-chan… then you are the moon. Because, while you may not be as loud and in-your-face as I am about protecting the ones you care about, you do it with a quiet strength that I would never be able to achieve…or pull off, because I have like zero patience, as you may have noticed. **_

_**You are always there in the background, lighting the path for anyone who needs you to. And when I lost so much and my world started to lose its light, your light…illuminated it again. **_

_**Just as the moon lights up the world and gives everyone hope when the sun goes down.**_

_**That's who you are."**_

Of course, back then, Naruto-kun had gone on to laugh about how something so cheesy had come out of his mouth and how he was pretty sure I had no clue what he was talking about. I had laughed and told him I understood what he was trying to say.

I sigh again, but this time from content.

The tiny currents being created by the fish's slow circulation are moving the water lilies on the pond's surface around. The slow, almost lazy movements are mesmerising… almost hypnotic in a way.

Sighing again, I subconsciously start humming, the music and chatter from the party dying out as I recognize the song I'm singing.

A lullaby.

My mother would sing it to Hanabi and I every night. It always put me to sleep, and even now, I can feel my eyelids growing heavy.

As my eyelids fall over my eyes, the last thought to pass through my head is a fervent repeat of my birthday wish.

_**I really wish Naruto-kun…and Father were here. **__**But its just another birthday...and I'm not fine.**_

* * *

X-x-X-x-X

* * *

**AND SCENE! HOORAY FOR SHAMELESS FLUFF!**

**Haha...my first attempt at writting from Hinata's POV.**

**Okay…I know its short.**

**This chapter….isn't done yet, it has two parts. It shall be completed next chapter and after that chapter 5 will be Hanako's chuunin exam with special guest stars: The Sand Siblings…yeah, they won the poll.**

**Anyway, enough of my babbling…please review!**


	4. Just Another Birthday II

_**Hmm, yes illi-chan the dramatic rant worked! ha-ha! Thanks for the reviews guys, sorry some of you couldn't review, although some people already guessed what's gonna happen next…anyway…**_

_**On to the update!**_

_**Disclaimer: I refuse to do this thing anymore, ya hear? I RE-fuse.**_

**And I finally present the last part of Hinata's birthday special. For those wondering (and a lot have asked) this two part thing I've done is mostly to explain more about Hinata's past. The story resumes next chapter.**

**PS: I recommend listening to Jimmy Nevis- In Love With You , while you read.**

* * *

X-X-X-X-X-X

* * *

Hiashi Hyuuga was by no means a sentimental man. Nor was he an emotional one. This was a fact everyone knew, it was part of what made him one of the most widely feared clan leaders in the Land of Fire, and not just in the Hidden Leaf Village.

He worked himself extremely hard to ensure his clan remained secure and prosperous. And it was no easy feat. The Hyuuga clan was one of the largest in the land, and heading such a large family of people was obviously a huge burden to put on one man's shoulders, but Hiashi was also not a man of complaint. He led his clan dutifully, shouldering the burden few could manage to carry, holding his head high with pride as his clan prospered and grew under him over the years, all thanks to his intelligent and calculating mind.

But he knew that for all his power and intelligence, not even he could cheat Father Time, and the time would soon come for him to retire from his position as clan head, and for someone else to step up and assume the position.

And it was for this particular reason that he found himself sitting alone in his study on his eldest daughter's eighteenth birthday.

Now that Hinata had turned eighteen, the clan elders expected more from both her and Hiashi himself.

Hiashi had to decide once and for all, if Hinata was to succeed him as clan head or not, or if he would pass the title to Neji or Hanabi instead. For if Hinata was to be his successor, preparations had to begin now that she was of age, as per the clan's rules.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but there was just one teeny tiny detail.

Hiashi didn't know if his daughter wanted to succeed him or not.

No, that wasn't entirely true. He knew that his daughter wanted to succeed him…she just didn't think she could do it.

It was no secret to anyone that she had a severe self-esteem problem. Hiashi knew that it was partly, well okay, mostly his fault she was like that. To say he had raised his daughters with an iron fist would be an understatement, but as has been mentioned, Hiashi was not a sentimental man. He didn't know any softer way to raise his daughters into the strong and independent shinobi he wanted them to become.

Hinata unfortunately bore the most brunt due to her uncanny resemblance to her mother. Not many people knew it, but that was reason why Hinata used to wear her hair short as a child, instead of long as all other clan members did. Unable to stand the constant reminder that his wife was dead, Hiashi had her hair cut every month.

Hinata's mother, Hanako Hyuuga had been a well-known master of the 'Gentle Fist' or 'Jyuuken' that the Hyuuga clan was so well known for. But Hinata's inability to grasp the technique as well as her younger sister made her father bitter. He didn't think it was right for her to look so much like Hanako, and yet be so weak where her mother hadn't been.

But things were different now. He couldn't remember when it had happened but Hinata had grown up. No longer was she the timid little girl that would cry at the simplest things. Granted, she was still reserved, but Hiashi had to admit that she had without a doubt gotten stronger.

He let a proud smile grace his visage as he thought it over. His daughters were the only thing he had left besides the clan. And he couldn't ask for better. Why, just a week prior, both Hinata and Hanako had taken their Chuunin and Jounin exams respectively.

It was already official that Hanako and her team had made Chuunin, but he had yet to hear about Hinata.

But he wasn't worried…no, not at all. Hinata would become a Jounin. She was _his_ daughter after all.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X-X

* * *

Neji Hyuuga was a rational young man. He preferred to think things through before acting on them. He wasn't like his peers.

Unlike Lee, his motivation didn't drive him to punish his body past its limits. Unlike Naruto, he didn't rush hot-headed into things, the battlefield included. And unlike Kiba, he didn't lose his cool or level head unnecessarily. Out of all his friends, he probably had more in common with Shikamaru; the lazy genius being one of the few people Neji could really relate with.

The bottom line was that Neji was a smart person; a genius even. But he didn't need to be a genius to know why he was here. 'Here' happened to be his uncle's personal study. Now, if any of his aforementioned peers were to be called away from Hinata's party by Hiashi Hyuuga himself, only to find themselves alone in the man's study while he stared them down…chances were; they probably wouldn't handle it well.

But not Neji.

The only sounds in the room were the faint thrums of music that were carrying from the party. And as he sat opposite his uncle, calmly returning his critical stare evenly, neither of them moving, Neji figured he was handling things_ pretty_ well.

But even as they sat there, Neji knew he couldn't stay locked in a staring contest with his uncle all night, because he had to return to the party as soon as possible. Someone had to keep an eye on Lee and Gai. Plus, he had promised Tenten a dance, and he had a feeling that if he didn't deliver on that promise, she would probably use him for target practice the next time they sparred.

That horrifying thought spurring him on, the young Jounin discreetly cleared his throat before speaking.

"Hiashi-sama," he began respectfully, "I know why you have called me here, and I know also what you wish to discuss with me, although, truth be told, I didn't expect that you would want to do this tonight of all nights."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow, taken aback, one: because Neji had been the one to speak first – no one spoke to the clan head unless addressed first. It wasn't a rule or anything, that's just the way things happened – and two: because of the words he said. Hiashi knew what the boy was getting at, but he wanted him to come right out and say it.

"And what is wrong with tonight?"

"Tonight," Neji started, and he couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on his face, "is Hinata-sama's eighteenth birthday. It's an important occasion. We should be there… celebrating with her."

Hiashi was momentarily stunned by Neji's bluntness. But that quickly wore off, he matched his smirk, deciding that though it had taken him a while to get to where he was, Neji was no longer the bitter hate-filled thirteen year old nephew he remembered begging for forgiveness from. The self-satisfaction he was feeling being proof enough, Hiashi knew he had made the right decision in having that talk with the boy at the time.

"And also…" Neji trailed off, wondering if he should finish.

"And also..?" Hiashi prompted.

"And…it also happens to be a congratulatory party for her."

"Congratulatory?"

Neji nodded. "As of yesterday evening, Hinata-sama is officially a Jounin." He answered. "She passed her exam…with flying colours, I should add. although unconfirmed, there has actually been talk of considering her for the new ANBU draft, although I doubt Hinata-sama will accept the offer."

At the shocked look on his uncle's face, Neji let a real smile grace his features. He could tell that after the initial shock wore off, the only word to describe the look in his eye…was pride. And proud he should be. Neji was. He was very proud of his cousin. She had worked extremely hard, and to him, no one deserved the title more than Hinata did.

"Hinata-sama is not aware of her new shinobi status yet," Neji continued. "Kurenai-sensei thought it would be a good idea to 'surprise' her after she opens her presents."

Hiashi could tell Neji thought it was a bad idea, and he agreed with him. Hinata and 'surprises' was a bad combination. Like Lee and Sake for example…only worse. The ever-horrifying thought reminding them again of the essence of time, Hiashi decided to wrap things up here.

"I had a meeting with the clan elders this afternoon." He began sombrely.

"Ah." Neji interrupted, understanding immediately. "They want to know whether or not Hinata-sama will succeed you as clan head, I assume."

Hiashi nodded gravely. Truthfully speaking, he had been putting this off for close to three years now. He was supposed to have decided when Hinata had turned fifteen, but by then the village was in chaos, what with Pein attacking Konoha and what not.

"So, are you going to tell her or am I?" Neji asked bluntly, breaking into his uncle's jumbled thoughts.

"What?"

Neji sighed, exhaling as he stood up. Hiashi gawked at his back. First, he spoke to him first…and now he had the gall to walk out on him? The nerve of this-

"You and I both know that neither me nor Hanabi can lead the clan like Hinata-sama can." He stated firmly, back still to his uncle. "Besides," he paused to smirk over his shoulder, "Hanabi and I already talked about it… and we'd both rather not deal with the stress that comes with being clan head."

Hiashi blinked once…and then chuckled…yes, _**chuckled**_ under his breath. "You should hurry, nephew. Miss Tenten awaits. A gentleman never makes a lady wait."

Neji stiffened, blinking owlishly as he gaped at his uncle. "I..uh.."

"Have a good evening, Neji." Hiashi said with finality, walking out to the patio and sliding the door shut behind him.

Ha, take that nephew…he always got the last word. It wasn't a rule or anything; it's just the way things were. And if the look on Neji's face was anything to go by, everything was right with the world.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X

* * *

Hinata sneezed once. And then another two times in rapid succession.

"Bless you."

"Oh, thank you." Hinata sighed…and then froze.

Neji chuckled. "You let me sneak up on you, Hinata-sama. That's unlike you."

Hinata let out a sigh of relief when she spotted him leaning on one of the stone pillars. "Oh, Neji-nii-san, it's just you, you startled me."

Neji smirked and shook his head. "You shouldn't be out here, you might catch a cold," he admonished, "and your party guests await you. You have yet to open all your presents."

Hinata smiled and gave him a simple headshake. "I needed some fresh air. I couldn't quite think clearly with everyone talking in there."

"Ah." He nodded. "Hinata-sama?"

"Hmm?" she hummed.

"Congratulations." He said sincerely, his features softening.

Hinata did her best to blink away the tears that sprang. "T-Thank you…Nii-san."

Neji nodded at her, giving her a genuine smile, and then they both turned their gazes back to the full moon.

The two Hyuuga siblings stood in a comfortable silence, the only sounds in the night air coming from the nocturnal insects and the faint thump of music coming from the very lively party.

"I miss him," she sighed softly, unaware that her cousin had heard.

Neji glanced sideways at his cousin. Hinata had definitely grown up. She was just as beautiful as her mother had been, Neji mused, as he recognised the gown she was wearing as having belonged to his aunt.

Being an only child, Neji had grown up with what could only be described as a lonely childhood despite being a member of such a large clan, what with losing his parents at such a tender age. But he considered Hanabi and Hinata his sisters, and he was quite protective of them both. anyone that upset or hurt them...well, let's just say they involuntarily volunteered to be test dummies whenever he practiced his 360-palm-strikes technique.

"Where is Hanabi?" he asked, realising that he hadn't seen the 14 year old anywhere all evening.

"Oh," Hinata chuckled, "Hanabi-Chan went on her first official date with Konohamaru-kun."

Neji blinked. "Tonight?"

"Un." Hinata chuckled again. "She reckoned Father was less likely to notice her absence."

Even though Naruto and Konohamaru had an uncanny knack of causing people headaches and migraines, what with the noise and rambunctiousness the two possessed, Neji couldn't think of anyone better he would trust his sisters with. He let an amused smile grace his features as he remembered that his uncle thought the same. He knew Hiashi thought his daughters had both made good choices. Hinata had picked the last known Uzumaki/ Namikaze and pending Rokudaime for herself, and Hanabi a Sarutobi, the Sandaime's grandson to be specific. But then, Hiashi wasn't about to tell _them_ that. He couldn't have his daughters thinking he was fine with them running around with a couple of pubescent hormonal teenage boys.

"Ah." He sighed, and then let out an amused chuckle as a thought occurred to him.

"What?" Hinata asked.

"Oh nothing. Like sister, like sister," he snorted, "Like idiotic mentor, like idiotic sidekick."

Hinata blinked a few times, and then felt her cheeks grow hot as realization dawned.

Hinata had gone on her first official date with Naruto the year before on Hanabi's 13th birthday. It appeared Konohamaru did EVERYTHING his Naruto-nii-chan did.

But then, Naruto had good reason to take her out that night. When rumours started spreading about them in the village, everyone wanted a piece of 'NaruHina' as their fan club called them. Konoha's cutest couple or something like that, according to Ino and the girls anyway.

They had tried to go on a date unsuccessfully for two weeks, but every time someone interrupted them, and they couldn't get any privacy. Then Naruto had the brilliant idea of taking her away, somewhere no one would find them, on a night when no one would notice they were gone.

Hinata sighed dreamily as she recalled. He had taken her to Mount Myobouku, where all the Toads that had signed a summoning contract with a Sage, lived…and it had been perfect…sort of. Mama Toad had tried to feed them bugs and worms, and Naruto almost dropped them off a cliff to their death in a valley of pointy rocks, all in his quest to find the perfect picnic spot.

But in the end, it had just been the two of them, alone with nothing but the calm, night air, and a breath-taking view of the beautiful mountain, with no one to disturb them, and no annoying fangirls with blinding flash cameras trying to take pictures.

They had talked for hours and hours…

"Hinata-sama?" Neji waved a hand in front of her face. She sighed again, making him roll his eyes. She was probably lost in a reverie of her first date…again. After another wave failed to snap her out of it, Neji gave up and left her alone, only to smirk as he felt a familiar chakra approach.

Turning slightly, Neji nodded at an approaching Naruto. "About time you got here, Uzumaki," He muttered as he passed him.

Well, it _**was**_ about time he got here. It would be hard distracting everyone else so they wouldn't notice the birthday girl's absence, he'd have to get Tenten to help. Oh well, he owed her a dance anyway. Better hurry…

* * *

X-X-X-X-X-X

* * *

Naruto approached Hinata warily.

It had been over a year and a half since they had officially begun dating. At the time, he was yet to finish his training, he remembered. When he had first left the village in search of the man Ero Sennin mentioned in the scroll, he and Hinata had still only been just friends, on his request that they first get to know each other before they tried anything.

He had found that he missed her infinitely, and he had known then that he couldn't be just her friend anymore. He had asked her to be his girlfriend immediately upon his return and what had followed had been an unfortunate series of failed 'first dates'. But then Gamabunta and Gamakichi had mentioned that his father used to take his mother to mount Myobouku all the time to escape fangirls and such, and so he had done the same for Hinata.

Leaving her behind a week later to start the final part of his training had to have been one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life…ever. Learning the Rasengan included.

But he was done now, and he was here…for her and for the village, and he decided right there and then that he would not do so again.

He stopped a few feet away from her, and inhaled sharply as he looked her profile up and down. The cool night breeze was gently blowing her hair away from her face, giving him a perfect view of her blemishless, cream-coloured skin, her pale eyes matched the pale moon she was currently staring up at in wonder, her pink, rosy lips slightly parted, and Naruto stamped down the urge to just run to her and either crush her in a hug or kiss her forever.

He was seriously considering doing both…but Hinata would probably pass out if he did and so he refrained.

He watched as a dainty hand came up to brush through her long violet-like tresses, which in the pale moonlight looked almost indigo. And Naruto gasped as he saw for the hundredth time probably, just how natural Hinata's beauty was, for she wore neither make-up nor jewellery and yet she looked so…so…he couldn't even think of a word to describe it.

And for the first time ever, he was glad that Pein attacked Konoha, for if he hadn't he never would have known that a girl as amazing as Hinata was in love with a knucklehead like him. But then he felt guilty for thinking such a thing and shook his head to rid it of its annoying thoughts.

Unbeknownst to him, Hinata was thinking of the exact same thing, for so lost in thought was she that she didn't even notice him there. Just what was so interesting about the moon anyway?

"Whatcha lookin' at?" he asked aloud without thinking.

"I must really miss, Naruto-kun," Hinata chuckled to herself, thinking she was still with Neji, "if I keep hearing his voice in my head."

"Yeah. That's not in your head."

Whirling around, she would have screamed if Naruto hadn't clamped his hand down on her mouth.

"Shh! No one knows I'm back! You'll alert the fangirls!"

His eyes were still the same as she remembered them, as blue as the sky in spring, and once they locked onto hers, she immediately stopped moving. He slowly dropped his hand once he was sure she wasn't going to scream.

"You okay?" he whispered, his eyes not leaving hers.

She blinked up at him a few times. And then a grin slowly broke out and spread over her face as she tackled him to the ground in her rushed attempt to hug him, surprising them both.

"Wow, missed me that much, huh?" he laughed.

Hinata immediately sat up, feeling her cheeks warm.

"It's okay," he laughed again, softer this time as he reached up to tuck her hair back behind her ears.

Hinata's cheeks burned darker at the affectionate gesture. And then she froze, noticing for the first time why he had to tuck her hair back. The wind was chillier and whipped past them just a tad rougher than before. She gasped as she recognized her surroundings. She now sat atop the Yondaime head on Hokage Mountain.

"H-How…?" she managed to squeak.

Naruto gave her a sheepish grin.

"Y-You…?" she squeaked again. "b-but…h-how?"

Naruto sighed. He hadn't seen her in almost two years and she was more interested in knowing how he'd gotten her up here?

Hinata blinked up at him expectantly, and he sighed in defeat. He never could say no to her. He stepped around her and stood behind her, reaching to draw her hair away from her left shoulder, he moved the material of her gown aside to expose her milky-skin. His warm breath ghosting over skin in such chilly weather made Goosebumps rise over her skin and Hinata shivered when he ran the fingers of his free hand across the expanse of her shoulder's skin.

"Na-Naruto-k-kun…" she wondered if her voice could get any squeakier than it already was. "W-what are y-you d-doing…?"

Ah, apparently it could.

"Look," he said simply.

Hinata glanced down at her shoulder and gasped softly at what she saw. There on her previously spotless shoulder now lay a strange mark she had never seen before. She raised her eyes to meet Naruto's azure ones in question.

"You know how my father had been the yellow Flash," he started. She nodded and he took a breath before continuing. "This," he gestured at the mark on her shoulder, "is how he could move from one place to another so fast. I placed it on every place I know I would need to get to fast in case of any emergency. I have one here on the mountain, at home, Sakura-chan's place, temeh's place- everyone's place actually, ya never know when they might need me. And also…on you."

Hinata's eyes widened. "You…you learnt the Yondaime's technique?" she gasped.

"Not exactly." Naruto smirked. "I'd say it was more like I 'modified' it."

"What?"

"You see, the only flaw to the technique had been that the target had to be marked first, and it also could only be reached while the mark was still visible."

As if on cue, the mark on Hinata's shoulder slowly disappeared as if receding back into her skin. She gasped again, meeting his gaze as he ran his fingers over it again, only for the mark to appear again.

"You found a way to make the mark permanent, so you could reach any target you mark, regardless of whether the mark is visible or not," she breathed, catching on.

He nodded.

"When did you…mark me?" Hinata asked, blushing. Oh, that sounded…just wrong.

"The day I left." Naruto answered, not missing a beat.

Hinata's eyes widened again. "S-so…all those times I thought I saw you while you were gone…y-you were there…?"

"Always."

Hinata's cheeks flamed. She thought she had been hallucinating, or dreaming or worse…delusional.

"I've lost a lot of important people, Hina-chan," he spoke, breaking into her jumbled thoughts, "my parents, Ero-sennin…" he paused to swallow thickly, "I don't want to lose anyone else. My friends, my family…you… you're all too important to me. I left to learn and perfect all these justsu… all this," he ran his hand over her shoulder again, and the mark appeared again, "because I want to be stronger, to be able to protect you all…because I don't want to…I _won't_ lose any of you. I won't."

Hinata swallowed at how intensely his eyes were smouldering. She had never seen that look in his eye before and she shivered again…but not from the cold.

She turned fully in his arms to face him, sighing as his forehead rested on hers. "You're not going to lose me, Naruto-kun," she said firmly, touching a dainty hand to his whiskered cheek.

He sighed, his eyes closing briefly before he opened them fully to stare into her pale lavender ones.

"I missed you," he whispered hoarsely.

Hinata sighed as she inhaled his scent deeply. Ino had laughed when she had mentioned it, but to her, Naruto's scent was like …well, it was like sunlight to her. Warm. So, so warm. She smiled.

"I missed you too," she sighed, "so much."

Naruto brushed her hair away from her face, and Hinata knew what was coming next, her eyes slowly fluttering closed on reflex.

"Hina-chan," he whispered as he leaned down, closer.

"Naru-kun," she replied, the use of his pet name made him smile. God, how he'd missed her voice.

Their lips met, and it was like fireworks were bursting and exploding behind their eyelids as all thought was wiped from their minds. Sure, they had kissed before, but this was different somehow.

The only thing either was aware of was the other.

His bangs tickling her forehead, her arms slowly winding around his neck, his fingers tangled in her hair, her unique scent flooding his senses, his warmth seeping into her clothes. His lips moved over hers, and a tingle moved through them both, from head to toe. It was a rather chaste kiss, well at the start anyway, for right then, Naruto opened his mouth slightly and Hinata gasped, allowing-

"Ahem."

Hinata squeaked and jumped away from him, and then promptly suffered a mini-stroke, partial heart attack and full blown aneurysm; all at once as she recognized none other than her father standing behind them, looking well…not so pleased.

"O-otou-sama," Hinata squeaked, face on fire.

"Hey there, Hiashi-sama, you look well, how've you been," Naruto chuckled nervously, and Hinata resisted the urge to smack her face. "You do something new with your hair, cos you know…it looks great. Really healthy and…yeah."

"Even though I found you clearly harassing her," Hiashi's eyes hardened. "I'm giving you five seconds to leave, boy."

"Understood," Naruto sighed. He turned to Hinata. "I'll see you later," he muttered.

Hinata nodded meekly unable to say anything. And then Naruto did the unimaginable.

_He pecked her cheek_. In front of her father! After he caught them not so innocently making out, she might add.

Naruto cringed, both from realizing his mistake, and also from the crippling deadly chakra Hiashi was emitting. Oh come on, she was eighteen, and it was just a harmless peck on the cheek. Then again, it was pretty miraculous that he was still in one piece after being caught kissing his daughter like that. Naruto decided not to push his luck.

"Aheehe, I should probably get back to the party," he chuckled nervously, "people to see, been away for quite a while, ya know. Bet they'll be surprised to see me-"

Hiashi let out an exasperated sigh. For someone who came from an impressive lineage, the boy sure was an idiot. "Just leave already, boy," he snapped, "I want to have a serious talk with my ...daughter... in private." He added, in a gentler tone.

The couple immediately stiffened, dumbstruck. Hiashi had never, ever, outwardly acknowledged Hinata as his daughter. EVER.

Naruto immediately pushed Hinata behind him, and conjured up a clone and in seconds he had a full Rasengan in his hand. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Hiashi-sama?!" he sneered, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Hiashi pinched the bridge of his nose, as Hinata face-palmed.

"Ano..Naruto-kun," she started gently, lowering his arm, effectively dispelling the Rasengan - wouldn't want anyone to accidentally get hit with that - "maybe you should get back to the party and greet everyone."

"Are you su-"

"LEAVE!" Hiashi bellowed, making the couple cringe.

Naruto begrudgingly stalked off, muttering under his breath about how unfair it was, and how he just wanted to spend some time with his girlfriend but nooo some stuck up jerk just haaad to ruin it.

Hinata chuckled under her breath, but then Hiashi cleared his throat and she was immediately silent. The silence soon became awkward as Hinata shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, wondering what her father wanted to say.

"Ahem," he started, unsurely, which Hinata found odd. Nothing made her father uncomfortable except…

"Happy birthday, my daughter."

Well…except that, and well, PDA. Public display of affection or er, public display of acknowledgement in this case. This was officially the best birthday EVER.

"T-Thank you, Otou-sama. I-"

"That boy," Hiashi interrupted, eyes narrowed, "he hasn't…."

Hinata's eyes widened and she almost passed out from mortification at what her father was implying. "O-of c-course n-not!"

Well, it was almost the perfect birthday, anyway.

"Ah. Good," Hiashi nodded. "Now that that is settled, we can discuss how we will go about your lessons."

"Lessons..?"

"For succeeding me of course, you need to know how to run things as clan head," he answered, and for just the briefest seconds, his features actually softened. "I have faith in you, Hinata, and I know you will be able to lead the clan into the future, because you are just like your mother, and you remind me so much of her, and also because Hyuuga noble blood courses through your veins."

For a full two minutes, Hinata could only gape at her father, unable to believe her ears. She sniffed, clenching her eyes shut. She would not cry in front of her father. She would not.

"It's alright." A large hand landed on her shoulder. "Your mother once told me that crying does not always means weakness." He added gently.

Yup..the apocalypse was definitely coming. Her father being..gentle..comforting. No one would believe her.

Hinata smiled, wiping the tears away. "Arigatou, Otou-sama."

He nodded down at her, offering her what she assumed was a smile, she couldn't really tell since it had been so long since she last saw him smile. Overcome with a wave of affection, Hinata gave him an awkward hug. He was stiff, unsure how to respond, but he let her do as she wished, he owed her at least that.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X-X

* * *

As they made their way back to the party, Hinata could not remember a time when she had been happpier.

Naruto was back. Her family and friends were all safe and happy. Her sister had found her special someone. And her father had acknowledged her as the next clan head. What else could she possibly ask for?

"The Uzumaki boy," her father spoke, "are you serious about him?" he asked as they ambled along slowly.

Anyone that saw the father and daughter walking down Konoha's street immediately did a double take, sure they're eyes were deceiving them.

Hinata couldn't say the question had surprised her. "Yes," she answered, surprising herself and her father with the sureness in her voice. "I can't imagine myself with anyone other than Naruto-kun. I…I love him, Father."

Hiashi was silent, and Hinata feared she had pushed their newfound bond too far. But then he actually smiled, and she instantly relaxed.

"You spoke your mind, regardless of your fear of my reaction, as a good leader should," he laid a hand on her shoulder, "when you are clan head, not everyone will agree with you, and you must stand your ground against them all…just as you have done now." He nodded. "Make me proud, Hinata."

"H-Hai." She nodded.

It was the night of her eighteenth birthday, and Hinata knew that she would be fine. Just fine.

But then they neared the Hyuuga estate and Hinata realised that her father would probably announce that he was resigning as clan head, and she was stepping up, at her party, in front of everyone…and again…in front of the entire village.

She started to hyperventilate.

Hiashi sighed. Ah, she had finally realized.

Okay, so maybe she wasn't so fine after all.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X-X

* * *

_**AND DONE! Okay, there's loose ends in here I know, I'll tie them up in later chapters. But I LOVE this chapter. I dunno, cos it explained a lot, I think. Like what Naruto meant about Hinata being busy 'running the estate' in chapter one for example.**_

_**Haha, yay! I just described a NaruHina makeout scene without getting too squeamish about it (Hope I didn't make anyone uncomfortable. I'm kinda a prude when it comes to such things, I never go into detail I just say they kissed and stuff lol) but it's all good. (kay, shutting up now)**_

_**Okay, so people couldn't review last chapter, but I really wanna know what you thought of it, so please let me know when you review this chapter? Pretty please? with icing and Gaara on top?**_


	5. Family and Failure

**Hi guys! What's this –gasp– an update?! *ducks to avoid shoes and rotten tomatoes* …I know I know, I'm sorry it took so long but I had MASSIVE writer's block, so it is not as good as I would have wanted it to be…but, here it is so enjoy! (But first, author rant, feel free to skip it) **

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS YOU GUYS **** SERIOUSLY YOU'RE ALL AWESOME!**

**PS: **_**Systemman **_**left a review last chapter that reminded me of something. Yes, it is unfair for Hinata and Naruto to be married if he's Hokage and she's clan head, due to the whole 'hey their clan gets favoured cos she's his wife' deal, that's actually why last chapter took so long, I tried to come up with a way to avoid it, but the story wouldn't have made sense if he wasn't Hokage and she wasn't clan head…hence yeah. Anyway, thanks for pointing that out (I'm surprised more people didn't) this way anyone who was wondering also understands. So thanks again!**

**Disclaimer: I own nada…as in, nothing. **

**PPS(to clear any confusion): The last two chapters, Sakura was still telling Hanako the story and the past had been in Hinata's POV cos she was the one telling Ino, Sakura and Tenten. **

_**For all that reviewed! Loved all the reviews! And for those that asked for it *hands over a heaping dish of Gaara with icing* thanks Gaaralover2247! You rock for sharing my love for Kazekage-sama, so the Gaara bit in here is for you!**_

* * *

**X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X**

* * *

"….so after a few years, during which Tsunade-sama and Hiashi-sama tutored your father and mother respectively, they were married. And the following year, just a week after his 23rd birthday, your father was officially named the Rokudaime." Sakura finished.

"I never get tired of that story." Hanako sighed.

"Mhm." Mikoto added, having returned from her Hizashi-chase at some point during the storytelling.

Sakura chuckled, shaking her head a little. "I don't blame you, girls. Because neither do I."

"Females." Hiashi groaned as he and his brother simultaneously rolled their eyes, not seeing the big deal.

Sakura flinched. Sheesh, no wonder the 13-year-olds were already Jounin, she mused. They were Kakashi-level sneaky.

Hanako, noticing the flinch, gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Mother has tried to get them to stop doing that to people, but my brothers never listen."

Sakura waved a dismissive hand, smiling fondly at the little girl that reminded her so much of a genin Hinata, save for the hair and eyes, which were undoubtedly all Naruto.

She sat with the children for another hour, laughing heartily as Hiashi tried to convince her of the existence of the 'Talk No Jutsu', despite his brother's insistence that no such thing existed.

Having grown bored, Hanako and Mikoto had moved to sit on the grass a little ways away, snacking on a few cookies and chatting excitedly about the upcoming Chuunin exam while swapping stories about their annoying teammates.

Mikoto's genin team, Team 4, had Rock Jet, Lee's son, and an Aburame for members. Hanako's was Team 6. She had an Inuzuka and an Aburame on her team, just like her mother's team had.

Hanako chuckled as Mikoto narrated how she'd nearly passed out from exhaustion when she'd sparred with Jet the day before. She was thankful that her teammates knew when she'd had enough during their spars.

Sakura smiled as she watched the children, feeling content as she relived the story she'd just told them. Back then, no one had had a problem when Hinata was officially named heir, they were actually quite pleased with the choice, as were the Hyuuga clan elders, much to everyone's delight. And when her engagement to Naruto had been made public, people couldn't have been happier for the heiress, as no one was uninformed of her…err, affection for him.

Sakura snapped out of her reverie when Hiashi let out an annoyed yell. It seemed the two brothers were still arguing about the existence of the 'Talk No Jutsu'. Just as a full scale fight was about to erupt between the two Uzumaki twins, much to Sakura's amusement, Sasuke came out of the house, just as Naruto walked up.

There was a simultaneous shout of "Father!" from Mikoto and Hanako as both girls ran to their respective fathers.

The twins rolled their eyes again. "Babies." Hiashi muttered.

"Your chakra signature kept flickering about an hour ago. Where were you?" Sasuke asked as Mikoto stopped in front of him.

Anyone else would think he was pissed and his daughter was about to get scolded. But all Sakura saw was an overprotective dad wanting to know why there was a space of time when he didn't know exactly where she was and what she was doing.

Ever since Mikoto had gotten her Sharingan a fortnight prior, Sasuke had gotten even more paranoid about her safety, if that was even possible. But his paranoia was justified to him, as the Uchiha Kekei Genkai was still something that was sought after by many greedy hands.

"Sorry, Father." Mikoto shrugged. "I was trying to track Hiza-kun. I'm still learning how to hide my signature though, and he was able to spot me each time. I'll practice harder th-"

"It's alright." Sasuke cut in, waving a hand dismissively. "He isn't a Jounin for no reason. You're getting better at your chakra control, that's what matters." He added as he patted her head once, which was his equivalent to a comforting speech and a warm hug.

Mikoto nodded, grinning from ear to ear. Sakura smiled. Aw, Sasuke did have a heart, contrary to what Naruto believed.

"Did you guys have fun?" Naruto asked, as he crouched down to Hanako's level.

She nodded, grinning widely while holding up two fingers. "Auntie Sakura told me two stories today."

Hizashi shrugged, not quite feeling like sharing anything. Mostly because he didn't want to talk about how he'd spent the entire afternoon evading Mikoto.

Hiashi pouted. "Mikoto-chan blew me off for Hiza…again."

Naruto laughed, ruffling the dejected boy's hair. "Don't worry son," he sympathised, "the so-called knucklehead ninja ALWAYS end up with the most amazing girls," he paused to shoot a knowing smirk at his best friend, "…riiiight, Sasuke-temeh?"

"No." Said Uchiha scowled. "The calm level-headed genius will always get the amazing girl. Dobe."

Hizashi hoped that wasn't true, Mikoto kind of creeped him out.

"Aww, you guys," Sakura cooed as she walked over to Sasuke…and simultaneously punched him and Naruto in the stomach. "Watch your language when the children are around." She snapped.

"Well, it's a story for another time…I guess." Naruto whimpered, clutching his now aching stomach.

"But Fatheeeeerrr," Hanako whined, "I wanna hear it now, 'ttebayoooo."

Sakura chuckled discreetly. While most people argued that Hanako was more like her father in looks, but had her mother's shy, reserved nature, when she really wanted something, she usually turned into a mini whiny Naruto.

"Oh come on, you've heard two stories today already!" Hiashi complained. "That's enough for one day!"

"Too much of anything is never good." Hizashi added.

"Your brothers are right, Hanako. I'll tell you some other time." Naruto promised, patting her head.

Hanako pouted, not pleased that her whining hadn't swayed him.

"Besides," he continued. "We are going to be too busy practicing the next few days, anyways. And you'll need plenty of rest if you are going to kick butt in the Chunnin exams."

Hanako's face broke out into the trademark Uzumaki grin, irritation forgotten. "Really? You're going to let me take the exam this year?" she asked, blue eyes shining.

When he nodded, she squealed and jumped into his arms, making them all laugh. Naruto chuckled again, lifting Hanako up on his shoulders, because she always loved it when he did that. She giggled with glee, as she gently held on to his hair.

"Well," Naruto said, turning to face the Uchihas, "I gotta get these three back home for dinner. But Sasuke, you can bring Mikoto and train with us this week at the estate for the exam. The wives can have tea in the garden or something during."

"That's a great idea, Naruto." Sakura agreed, turning to smile at Sasuke. "What do you think? Mikoto could use a few sparring matches, couldn't she?"

"Oooooh! Can we, Father? Please?" Mikoto pleaded, eyes shining and pearly whites blinding.

Sakura chuckled when Sasuke sighed. He never could win against that look. "Hn."

"Cha!"

At Mikoto's cheer, a teeny, tiny almost unrecognizable smile appeared on Sasuke's face and Sakura smirked. As much as Sasuke liked to tease Naruto about spoiling Hanako, his daughter had him wrapped around her pinkie just as much as Hanako had Naruto.

"Well, I guess that's settled," Naruto affirmed. "We have to plan this well though. I'll probably be busy most of the days with all the paperwork and preparations that have to be done before the exams."

"Ah." Sasuke nodded. "But with Hyuuga, Aniki and I helping, it shouldn't be so hard. Third time's the charm… right Do-…ah, Naruto." He amended, when Sakura shot him a warning glare.

This was the third time Konoha was hosting the exams since Naruto had become Hokage. The first time hadn't gone quite as planned, and the second was shaky because shinobi from Sound and Rain were participating for the first time. The elder council had been reluctant at first due to their distrust of the two villages. But on Naruto's insistence, and with Sasuke, Itachi and Neji backing him up, they had been allowed and thankfully everything had gone according to plan. He had never been gladder to have appointed them as members of the council.

They were discussing what times would be best for everyone when a wail suddenly rang out in the whole yard.

"Oh no. Hita-kun is awake." Sakura hurriedly rushed into the estate.

"Wow, Sasuke, Hitachi cries just like you used to." Naruto laughed. "He's definitely your son."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he decided not to rise to the bait and just ignored the grinning idiot that was unfortunately his best friend and was responsible for the entire village. How the village still standing was a miracle, was something he would make jabs at occasionally just to irk his blonde friend, but he knew no one loved the village and its inhabitants more than he did, and so that was fine with him.

After bidding his best friend goodbye, making him promise to extend his goodbye to Sakura, Naruto dragged a miserable Hiashi away from an enraged Mikoto and the Uzumakis slowly – and noisily – made their way back home.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X-X

* * *

The following week flew by in a blur, what with all the preparations going on for the exams, both for the village and for the ever bustling Uzumaki household.

Hinata had her hands full, making sure her husband didn't go overboard with making sure Hanako remained safe during spars and training, which was easier said than done, as well as making sure Hizashi and Hiashi didn't kill each other in one of their fights, also easier said than done, and all the while running the estate.

She was practically at wits end by the time Wednesday was rolling around.

"You need to rest, Hinata-sama," Neji had advised as they sat enjoying lunch in the courtyard. "You look exhausted."

Not that he'd know since he wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were glued on his son Nagi, as he explained something to Hanako from where they sat across the lawns.

As the adults were having lunch, the kids were sitting on a picnic blanket nearby eating their own lunch. Everyone was taking a break from the training. Since the Chunnin exams were due to start the following week, the kids that were participating were driving everyone insane with wanting to practice.

Neji watched as Nagi raised his hands to demonstrate some hand signs. Judging from how Hanako tried to copy them, Neji surmised the 13 year old was trying to teach his cousin a jutsu.

He smiled affectionately, the scene reminding him of a time when that had been him teaching Hinata. Hinata followed his gaze and then offered her cousin a small smile when their eyes met in understanding.

She shook her head. "I'm fine, Nii-san," she waved a hand dismissively, "sure, I have a lot of things that need my attention, but that's just the way I like it."

"Yeah, she's fine! So stop being such an uptight worrywart!" Tenten laughed in between sandwich bites.

Neji's eye twitched at the tease while Sakura laughed. She stopped laughing however when she noticed that the seat by her was still empty.

"Sasu-darling!" she shouted. Neji cringed at the gross nickname and the fact that she was yelling in his ear. "Your lunch is getting cold!"

"Coming."

Neji was surprised Sasuke had even answered, considering he was in the middle of a very uh…vigorous spar with Naruto.

"You better be in this chair in the next five minutes, Uchiha!"

'**Joy,'** Neji sighed. He was officially deaf in his left ear.

He had been wondering why Kiba had declined the invite to lunch; maybe this was the reason. The Inuzuka was smarter than Neji gave him credit for.

Shino and Chouji, with Hinata, were the only three of the Konoha 12 that had stepped up to become heads of their clans. Both males were too busy with their clan duties to make it for the lunch.

Shikamaru and Ino currently weren't in Konoha. When they'd both turned 25, only having a day's difference in their birthdays, Ino had decided she wanted to see the world, and had dragged a very unwilling Shikamaru along with her. From the last letter they'd received from the couple, they were somewhere in Rock country.

Of the Konoha 12, Kiba was the only one that had chosen to join ANBU, shocking pretty much everyone. But since Hana stepped up as clan head, being the first born, he didn't really mind. He, Itachi and Sai were now captains of their own platoons. The three men ironically, were also the only ones that still weren't married.

Lee had chosen to take a genin team under his wing, and was now happily married to Ayame Ichiraku – no one had seen _**THAT**_ coming – and had a 12 year old son named Jet, who just so happened to be Mikoto's teammate. Jet, like his father was well versed in Taijutsu and could not use Genjustu, or any Ninjutsu. This was probably due to the fact that his father couldn't, and his mother was an ordinary civilian. But like his father, Jet didn't let that deter him at all. Why, the two of them had gone off somewhere in the mountains, for Jet's training for the exams.

Neji let out an exasperated sigh when Sakura started yelling again, toppling her chair over as she stood.

"SASUKEEEEE!"

Wonderful. There went the hearing in his right ear.

As an irritated Sakura stomped her way across the yard, leaving small craters in the ground with each stomp, Tenten burst out laughing at the look on Neji's face as he poked at his ringing ears. Hinata sighed at her now destroyed lawn and then giggled along with her sister-in-law when Naruto and Sasuke started backing away from their approaching former teammate slowly.

"Uh, Ten-chan?" Neji asked carefully, not wanting to upset her since she'd been really irritable the past few weeks. "What kind of sandwich are you eating?"

"Peanut butter and jelly," she answered, and then took a particularly large bite.

"What are those green bits in there?"

"Anchovies." She answered simply as she popped the last of the sandwich in her mouth.

Neji supressed the urge to gag…and then something important occurred to him. "Wait a minute," he mumbled, "peanut butter and jelly…and anchovies…?"

Hinata's eyes widened. Neji still didn't know?

"Um, Ten-san, do you mind lending me a hand with the dessert in the kitchen, please?" She asked hurriedly.

Tenten swivelled her head around to look at Hinata, who jabbed her head in Neji's direction.

The Hyuuga was currently opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, probably recognising the familiar craving. Kami knew she'd woken him up enough times to make it for her last time she'd been…last time she'd been…

Neji choked, eyes widening and hands clutching at the wooden table.

"Sure!" Tenten shot up immediately, scurrying after Hinata.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X

* * *

Immediately upon entering the kitchen, Hinata and Tenten started giggling.

"Oh Tenten-san, you still haven't told Nii-san?" Hinata asked when she'd calmed down some.

"Nah," Tenten shook her head, "if I tell Neji that I'm pregnant, he won't let me do anything," she complained. "He'll start acting like I'm a delicate egg that'll break at the slightest-"

"Oh. You know Nii-san can't help it," Hinata cut in, remembering how close Tenten had come to killing Neji for fawning over her too much when she'd been pregnant with Nagi.

Tenten beamed. "He's probably figured it out by now anyway," she said as she ran a hand over her stomach.

Hinata returned the smile, her own hand coming to rest over her abdomen absently. She'd actually been talking with Naruto about having another baby the following year a few weeks back. The smile soon morphed into a thoughtful frown as her hand moved across her belly twice. She squinted, counting backwards in her head. Her eyes flicked to the calendar on the wall.

The oven dinged, signalling that the buns Hinata had been baking were done.

At the ding, Hinata's mouth fell open in shock…and she fainted.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X

* * *

By the time Saturday was rolling around, Ninja from all over the five countries had arrived in Konoha, filling the village's streets till they were bustling with teeming life. Among them were the Kazekage and his small family, with the participating Sand Nin and a few Jounin. Gaara's own son, Shin, was also participating in the exam as well.

That Saturday afternoon, Gaara and his family were over at the Uzumaki estate for lunch. Naruto had, of course, been ecstatic to see his red-headed fellow Kage. Matsuri, who was now married to the Kazekage, was even more ecstatic to be back in Konoha, mostly because she wanted to thank Naruto for saving Gaara…again…as she always did whenever she saw the blonde. And everyone around would sweatdrop each time. You'd think she'd stop after all the years that had passed.

"So Gaara, how's Suna doing these days?" Naruto asked as they sat lounging in the gardens. "Still hot?"

"It _**is**_ in the desert, Naruto." Gaara replied blandly.

"Oh yeah!" he laughed, and Gaara sighed and wondered if Konoha really was safe in the blonde's hands. "Hey, how come Temari and Kankuro didn't come with you this time?"

Gaara shrugged. "They were busy with other things, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"Am I supposed to know every little thing they're doing?"

Naruto laughed heartily, just as Gaara's three year old daughter ran up. "Father, Father!" she wailed, waving her arms around.

"What is it, Yue?" Gaara asked patiently as he turned to face her.

"Look!" she cried, opening her palm to reveal a dead butterfly. "It won't fly anymore," she sniffed, her little face anxious.

Gaara blinked down at the dead insect in his daughter's palm. From the look on his face, Naruto could tell the redhead was trying to figure out a way to tell her it was dead…without actually saying that it was dead.

"Why won't it fly anymore, Father?" Yue sniffled.

"Its…dead." Gaara answered finally. Naruto facepalmed.

"Dead..?" Yue repeated. "What does dead mean?"

"Well. This should be interesting," Naruto snorted. Gaara sent him a quick glare and he immediately shut up.

"Dead…is like sleeping," Gaara said slowly.

"Sleeping…?"

"Yes, sleeping…except it won't wake up." He added.

"So it will sleep forever?!" she cried.

"Don't worry, Yue, it's in heaven now," he laid a hand on her shoulder.

Yue blinked a few times, and then peered at the dead butterfly again. Naruto smiled. Well, that had gone better than he thought it would.

"What is heaven, Father?"

Or not.

Naruto started snickering again as Gaara exhaled.

"Heaven is that place where your Mother believes good people and good things go to when they're dead." Gaara explained. "She says it's a very nice place." He added to make the little girl feel better.

"She did?" She smiled, and then tilted her head to the side. "Don't you believe in heaven too, Father?"

Gaara shook his head and Yue frowned, "Why not?" she pouted.

"Well…because I don't think it's real. I don't have a religion like Mother… you understand, Yue?"

Naruto facepalmed again, Gaara was definitely NOT handling this well.

Yue frowned. "But Father, what is…religion?"

Gaara sighed and then inhaled deeply. "Religion…is something people believe in. They can't see it, but they believe it is there."

Yue nodded thoughtfully. "You mean, like how I believe in Santa?" she asked, eyes shining. "I never see him, but I know he's real, because I always get what I ask for on Christmas."

Gaara blinked. "Uh…sure."

"So…does that mean Santa's dead?!"

"Uh…well," Gaara shot Naruto a pensive look.

Like Hanako and Mikoto, Yue was very much and every bit the little daddy's girl. And daddy didn't like it when daddy's little girl cried.

She was all out bawling now, and Gaara had no idea what to do. By the time Matsuri showed up to calm her down and glare at Gaara in warning, Naruto was of course rolling on the grass laughing his Kage robes off…or ROTGLHKRO for short.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X

* * *

As the days progressed, the exams were moving smoothly. Sure, there were injuries, that couldn't be avoided, but with the top notch medics available, there were thankfully, no casualties. The overprotective fathers even managed to show restraint whenever one of their own was wounded.

Okay…so maybe they didn't show any restraint whatsoever and had to be chained and bound whenever a test was in progress to prevent them from running out into the fields.

By the time the preliminary elimination fights were rolling around, Hinata and Sakura decided they'd had just about enough of Sasuke and Naruto. The two males were tied down and chained to their chairs, which were nailed and bolted to the floor with chakra suppressors. And to make sure they didn't try anything funny, their wives sat on their laps defiantly.

"Oh for the love of kunai, I CAN WALK ON MY OWN NEJI!"

Everyone cringed at the yell, and was soon snickering when they spotted Neji determinately leading Tenten to her chair by her arm, ignoring the zinging whips she was delivering to his head with her bag.

It was quite the comical sight.

As the day's main events started, Tenten sent Hinata a questioning look, to which the response she got was a simple headshake, letting Tenten know that the Rokudaime was still unaware that he was going to be father again in approximately eight and a half months.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X

* * *

At this point in the exam, there were only four teams left; Mikoto's team, Hanako's team, Shin's team, and one team from Sound.

As it always did whenever more than three teams qualified for finals, the machine randomly selected opponents to be matched up for the prelims. Everyone waited with baited breath to see who got matched up with whom.

Mikoto was to face off with a Sound Nin, Hanako got matched up with Shin, Gaara's son-

No one really could see any match up after that since Sasuke and Naruto pretty much went ballistic in their chairs.

* * *

X-X-X-X-X

* * *

_**A WEEK LATER.**_

"Do you think we're losers, Hana-chan?"

Hanako sighed listlessly as the warm evening air blew her blonde locks away from her face. She absently chipped away at the ground with a kunai, watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon. The pre-teen Uzumaki and Uchiha sat atop the Yondaime head, trying to get over the numbness they were feeling.

"I don't know, Miko-chan," she mumbled, "I don't know."

Neither girl spoke for a while after that, silently watching the lights come on in the village below them. The exams had concluded three days prior, and the results had come out that morning. Most of the participating Nin had already left the village.

"Uzumaki-san. Uchiha-san."

Hanako slowly turned around to face the person that had addressed them. "Ah… Sabaku-san. What are you doing here?"

Hanako slowly rose to her feet as Shin approached, trying not to feel intimidated by the sand gourd on the other's back. Shin stopped a few feet away, looking every bit the Kazekage's son, from the wild red hair down to the jade eyes that were staring her down, only unlike his father, Shin's eyes had no dark rings.

"Your parents are looking for you," he replied coolly, "you have been gone a long time and they were starting to worry."

Mikoto chuckled a bit, rubbing her head but not turning. "Yeah, I bet Father has pretty much lost it by now."

When neither answered, Mikoto peeked back at her friend and then sweatdropped. The tension between the two was palpable as the Sabaku and the Uzumaki returned each other's level stare.

"Congratulations, Sabaku-san," Hanako said finally, "I hear you made Chunnin."

"Ah. I did. Thank you," he nodded. "You would have as well, I imagined, since you are strong enough," he started, surprising her. But surprise was soon replaced by irritation. "But your bad sense of logic may have deterred the judges. A good shinobi does not doubt their own skill."

"Aha…how did you know we were up here, Sabaku-san?" Mikoto interjected, discreetly laying a palm on Hanako's shoulder.

Shin's gaze slid to Mikoto and she flinched. "Uzumaki-san once mentioned having a fear of heights. By that, I surmised she would be at the highest point in the village, assuming it would be the last place anyone would think to look for her." he explained.

Hanako huffed and crossed her arms. "I got over my fear of heights when I jumped off a cliff two years ago, thank you very much." She muttered, not realising how ridiculous that sounded.

"Of course," he continued, talking over her, "you'd probably still choose to come up here to lick your wounds in peace where no one would disturb you like they would anywhere else in the village."

Hanako was practically seething now, the only thing holding her back being Mikoto.

"I should mention before I leave, however, that you are by far one of the most formidable opponents I've ever faced."

"Eh..?" Hanako and Mikoto blinked in sync.

"Then again, considering very few people are courageous enough to face me, I don't think you should take that as a compliment. And one more thing, Uchiha-san," he paused, his back still to them, "you probably would also have passed as well, if you hadn't attempted to use the Sharingan. Clearly, you have yet to master it, and that cost you your victory."

Hanako and Mikoto gaped at his retreating back.

"The nerve of that guy!" Mikoto snapped when she found her voice. "What a jerk!"

"Yeah!" Hanako agreed. "Who does he think he is?!"

"I think he thinks he's the Kazekage's son."

The two girls jumped a mile high, and then sighed in relief when they spotted their fathers behind them.

"Father…" Hanako complained, a hand over her racing heart.

Sasuke cuffed Naruto upside the head. "Idiot. You scared them."

"What, flickering up here seemed the better option when compared to just running up the side of the mountain, no?"

Hanako and Mikoto shared a look, and then slowly started to sneak away when Sasuke and Naruto continued to bicker. They didn't get very far though.

"Hold it!"

"Get back here, young ladies!"

The two girls sighed and begrudgingly trudged back.

"We're sorry we failed the exam," Mikoto started.

"Yes, you must be very disappointed after all the time we spent training," Hanako finished.

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other and then nodded.

"We were losers too-" Naruto started.

"What?!" Sasuke interrupted.

"Whaaaat?"

"That's not what we agreed on!"

"Well, I kind of forgot what we planned to say!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the answer, and then sighed as he squatted in front of Mikoto. "What your uncle meant to say was that we also failed the exam the first time took it."

The two girls looked doubtful. "Really?"

"I was 18 when I finally made Chunnin actually," Naruto nodded.

"I don't believe it." Hanako countered.

"Well, it's true." Naruto grinned.

"No way…but you're.." Mikoto spluttered.

"And he's…" Hanako added, pointing at Sasuke.

"The point is," Sasuke said, placing a hand on Mikoto's shoulder, "we aren't disappointed in you. Failure isn't always shameful. We grow and learn from failure. In success, you can be happy, but you do not really learn anything new when you succeed, see?"

Mikoto sniffed and nodded.

"Contrary to what you think, it's alright to fail sometimes-"

Mikoto interrupted with a cry and launched herself at him, crying and sobbing and wailing. Sasuke looked like he had no idea what to do with himself, but he let her do as she pleased since she was upset. Being an Uchiha, it had to be difficult for her to accept defeat.

When patting her head did little to calm her, Sasuke stood up with Mikoto still attached to his front and sobbing into his neck.

"Er…I should get her to her mother. She'll know what to do."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea," Naruto agreed, trying not to laugh at Sasuke's discomfort.

When he'd left and only he and Hanako remained, Naruto heaved a huge sigh and squatted in front of her.

"Do you want to cry too?" he asked.

Hanako smiled faintly and shook her head once.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

Her lip trembled, but Hanako nodded anyways, and he sighed and pulled her in for a hug. "You know, a wise woman once said 'Tears don't always mean weakness.'" He said as he rubbed her back soothingly. "You know who said that?" he asked.

Hanako shook her head.

"Your grandmother. One of the strongest Hyuuga females known and one of the most well versed Jyuuken masters in clan history…and also the woman after whom you were named."

"But I am not grandmother!" Hanako protested. "She was strong and she was fearless, that's what made her a great shinobi. I am none of those things because I am coward!" she bit her lip when the first tears spilled over.

Naruto sighed, hugging her tighter when the tears seeped through his robes. "You're not a coward."

"Yes I am!" she insisted. "Sabaku-san was right. What kind of shinobi doubts their own attack before it's executed? What kind of shinobi hesitates because they're afraid to attack and wound someone? At this rate, I'll be stuck a Genin and then I'll have to do D-rank missions like rescuing that cat that keeps escaping, for the rest of my life."

"No, you will not."

"Yes, I will! And then I'll go down in history as the eternal Genin."

Naruto chuckled. "That name is already taken, sorry."

Hanako pulled back, affronted. "Father!"

"Sorry, Sorry." He chuckled again, holding up his hands.

Hanako pouted.

"You have your whole life to learn and improve your skills," he said seriously, "there is no rush and there is no shame in admitting to being afraid. People fear a lot of different things, it's part of what lets you know that you still have your heart and that you're still only human, regardless of how many Jutsu you master or how strong you get or how perfectly honed your Chakra is."

Hanako remained silent.

"The first time I went on a mission, I was so scared that I froze. I couldn't do anything when the enemy attacked."

"Yes, but you-"

"Learned from my mistakes and grew from them?" he interrupted.

"Well…"

"Listen to me, Hanako."

"I am," she insisted. "But I am a shinobi, and in this line of duty, one could die at any moment. Not just me, but my teammates. What if that happened because I was too afraid to properly attack the enemy?"

"You may be a shinobi, but you are also your mother's daughter."

"Yes, but Mother-"

"Had the same problem but eventually got over it with the help of her teammates and family?"

"I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

"Not really, No."

Hanako sighed, hands coming up to rub at her face. "Alright, Alright. Fine."

Naruto grinned as he stood, reaching over to ruffle her hair.

"Why did you come up here?" he asked after a few moments.

Hanako shrugged. "I come up here a lot these days. To think, or to just watch the village, or when I just want to be alone."

"Huh. I used to come up here a lot as a kid, myself."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

A breeze blew past. The majority of the village's lights were on, and the sun had just about completely sunk below the horizon.

"Come on, let's go before your mother starts to worry."

"Father?"

"Hmn?"

"Arigatou-ne."

Naruto beamed and as the last ray of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, Father and daughter disappeared in the famed Yellow Flash's Jutsu.

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X-x-X-x-X-x-X

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THE END…or is it?

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X-X-X-X-X

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**IMPORTANT A/N, PLEASE READ MEEE!:**

**Okay, first off, did you guys know that Matsuri is actually one year older than Gaara, Naruto and the other Rookie 9? I know, shocked me too. She's age mates with Team Gai. I don't really like Gaamatsuri that much, but hey Kage have to marry too right?**

**This chapter makes me nervous. And yes, I know everyone was horrendously out of character, I apologize. The chapter is choppy and it sucks and you guys deserve better but I'm just so tired right now. And also, I realise I may be overwhelming you guys with all the kid OCs popping up, but they are necessary so sorry. And even though it seems otherwise, I'm actually fighting against myself to prevent Mary sues and Gary stues. I hope this isn't so bad though, cause I didn't really proof read it!**

**Anyway, this story is now complete. (Like ripping off a Band-Aid what I just did)**

**I know, I know, I didn't want it to end either, but after attempting to write more chapters, I noticed that I'd end up ruining the story because someone ended up dying each time, and character death would ruin this, cos I want this to remain pure family fluff and stuff. (Heh, rhyme lol) I was tempted to leave it at last chapter, but I owed it to you guys to tie up the loose ends, so yeah.**

**I DO HOWEVER, have an EPILOGUE for you guys to make up for this horrible decision to end the story…and I shall upload it soon…maybe in a few hours, tomorrow tops…eh, well, I can promise it will be up within the week, before sunday tops. It will be dramatic, very dramatic, because the epilogue should always go out with a bang!**

**Review for old times' sake, please! Try to guess whose kids ended up with whom! We'll see who'll get them right!**

**PS: YW12 and i shall publish a new humor fic later tonight! please check it out and let us know what you think!**


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